ROCHESTER, N.Y. —   Peter Reininger says he and his other neighbors were never told that an active investigation was underway early Thursday morning when police raided a home on St. Paul Street searching for drugs. 

Police say as SWAT offficers were moving from their positions, an aggressive pit bull charged at them, causing the officers to shoot the animal. The dog died from her injuries.

Reininger said the dog owner, who lives two doors down from the raid, did not know officers were in her fenced off back yard when she took the dog off the leash.

"It's our back yard, it's not a front yard," Reininger said. "It's a private back yard, on private property, she doesn't rent the house, she owns the house."

He believes this shooting could have been avoided. He claims officers never warned his neighbor that an active investigation was underway and offered her no details when she asked what was going on.

"She would have stayed inside. She wouldn't have let the dog out," he said. "A simple, there's an active investigation, please stay inside, that's all, it could have prevented this."

Police say a person of interest hs been detained and the investigation, although in its preliminary stages, uncovered multiple firearms and narcotics at the targeted residence.