Neko Williams was walking his dog, King, near 19th and M streets NW in the snow Monday evening when King suddenly collapsed. Williams said he could feel mild electrical shocks coming from the ground as he knelt to help his beloved boxer.
“I felt electricity on the ground, and throughout his body," Williams said.
King was not the only dog to die at the same spot that same evening after being allegedly electrocuted, News4 has learned.
“I touched the ground, and I felt electricity, and I generally don’t know what happened,” Williams said.
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Witnesses said he was on the ground, cradling his dog.
Neko Williams' mother, Nicole, said King was a member of the family and did everything with them. She said he was a support dog and a gentle protector for her son.
“We’re at a loss for words,” she said. “It’s hard to understand that someone could walk down the street and step and end up electrocuted. It’s just a freak accident. We really want to know what happened.”
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The Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) told News4 it received calls about two dogs dying after being apparently electrocuted at the same spot Monday in front of 1140 19th St. NW, a few blocks south of Dupont Circle.
"The first dog was taken to an emergency clinic by the owner and pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital," the HRA said in a statement. "A report of a second dead on arrival stray dog has been forwarded to Animal Control.”
News4 saw a large presence of Pepco employees and equipment at the scene Tuesday. A portion of the sidewalk was cordoned off and closed to pedestrians.
In a statement to News4, Pepco said, “Our thoughts are with the individuals impacted by this event. The safety of our customers, communities and employees is always our top priority. We are working closely with local authorities and are continuing to investigate this matter.”
Pepco updated its statement Wednesday, saying, in part, "Crews conducted an inspection of the 1100 block of 19th St. NW and have confirmed that there is no stray voltage in the area and the area is safe. Pepco is conducting a thorough investigation of this incident to understand what took place and what may have caused this issue. This investigation will include industry peers and third-party experts. We expect the full investigation to take approximately 60 days (about 2 months)." "
The Williamses say they are grateful to learn King’s death is being investigated and that no one else was harmed.
