TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

The Maricopa police chief has been ordered to get rid of his gun and stay away from four people whose dog the he shot and killed on Sept. 8.

So says a temporary restraining order signed by Kern County Superior Court Commissioner Linda Etienne and given Friday to Police Chief Gene Fretheim.

"It's baffling to myself and everyone who has seen it," said Fretheim, a 63-year-old officer with more than 27 years experience at the Los Angeles Police Department.

He became chief of the small community south of Taft in May.

Fretheim said he sought legal advice on Friday afternoon, but had not yet received it. In the meantime, he said he will keep his gun.

He's not scheduled to work until Monday, but he said if he's needed before then, he will come armed as usual.

"I'm continuing to be the chief of police," Fretheim said. "It would be pretty silly for me to be out there without a weapon."

Lutie Thompson, a Bakersfield attorney representing the people who asked for the order, said "the chief of police is a loose canon going around. No one is above the law."

A request for the order was filed Sept. 25 by Lisa Chavez. She alleged that on Sept. 8, her 8-year-old pit bull mix, Matty, had been snared by a dog catcher and then shot by Fretheim.

She described her dog as "very loving toward all my neighbors."

"I am now in fear that Mr. Fretheim will come and kill my other four dogs," Chavez said. "I am scared he may also retaliate against me or my family because I am filing this restraining order."

She said the chief wants to get rid of all pit bulls in town, and told her he shot her dog because it was a pit bull.

The chief said many of Chavez's allegations are "lies."

He said city workers identified the dog as one who had bit a city employee.

A city worker asked him to check out the dog because it was running loose that morning.

As soon as he approached the dog, the dog charged toward him. He and a volunteer dog catcher tried to control the dog as it backed up a hill.

When it was in a depression in the road, the dog lunged at him. "I shot and killed the dog," he said.

The volunteer then put a snare around the dog's neck, he said.

Chavez in a court declaration said she and her boyfriend, Steve Milne, saw the chief shoot the dog after it had been snared.

The chief said the couple told him the dog had been safely in their yard.

Fretheim said he told them it was certainly not confined in a yard and it was acting aggressively.

The order says Fretheim has to stay100 yards away from Chavez, 38, Milne, 35, and and two children aged, 7 and 13.

The chief says whether he stays away "depends upon them." He said he has no reason to go by them, unless they need an officer or they break the law.

A hearing is scheduled Oct. 15 on whether the order will be extended.