Woman fatally hit by bullet while trying to protect dog from being shot, police say

BAKER, La. — A woman was killed when she tried to protect a dog that was being shot at Sunday, police said.

Rhykem Rogers, 28, was shooting at a dog when Cherish Smith tried to shield the animal with her body by running in front it, according to WAFB.

She was shot in the stomach and taken to the hospital, where she later died from her injuries, Baker police said.

Smith, 23, was the mother of a 3-week-old and stepmother to a 3-year-old child.

"For me to imagine these two young, minor children, one is two weeks old, one is three years old, to grow up without their mother," Baker Police Chief Carl Dunn told WAFB. "That's heartbreaking."

Rogers was arrested and charged with negligent homicide and illegal use of a weapon. His bond was set at $31,000.

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