Neighbor killed in argument over dog running loose in neighborhood, Texas cops say

A 60-year-old man was shot and killed after an argument with his neighbor over a loose dog turned violent, Texas deputies say.

The shooting in Liberty County, about 70 miles northeast of Houston, occurred on Friday, April 15, and led to the arrest of the 70-year-old neighbor, the sheriff’s office said.

Sheriff officials said the shooting was a culmination of an ongoing dispute between Eric Lee Elliott and his neighbor, William Duncan Womack, whose dog was allegedly running loose in the neighborhood.

Elliott was doing yardwork around 2:45 p.m. Friday when Womack’s dog got into his yard, according to the sheriff. Elliott confronted his neighbor’s stepdaughter, telling her “that if they did not keep their dog out of his yard that he was going to kill the dog,” deputies said.

The stepdaughter told Womack about the threat, and he walked outside to talk to Elliott. Witnesses recalled the ensuing fatal encounter.

“When the two men met in the street, Elliott kicked Womack in the leg and then pulled a handgun from his waist and shot Womack one time in the stomach,” according to sheriff officials. “Again, according to witnesses, while Womack’s wife and stepdaughter were screaming and trying to call for help, Elliott put the handgun in his truck and continued with his yardwork as if nothing had ever happened.”

Elliott was still doing yardwork when deputies arrived to the neighborhood, where they found Womack with a gunshot wound, the sheriff’s office said. The 60-year-old Womack was flown to an area hospital, where he died.

Elliott was arrested and charged with murder. He remains in the Liberty County Jail on a $1 million bond as of Tuesday, April 19.

This story was originally published April 19, 2022 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Neighbor killed in argument over dog running loose in neighborhood, Texas cops say."