Surveillance video shows police officer shooting dead pet dog over barking complaint in Miami
Officer, who has not been named, opened fire seven times on the eight-month-old American Bully on 12 January
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Your support makes all the difference.Shocking home surveillance footage has captured the moment a police officer shot an eight-month-old pet dog seven times after responding to a complaint about barking in Miami.
The incident unfolded in unincorporated Miami-Dade near Miami Gardens at around 7pm on 12 January when officers responded to the complaint, reported CBS4.
The footage, obtained by the local outlet, appears to show a male officer standing in the driveway of a home with another man.
Barking can be heard off-camera, and the officer begins stepping backwards, pulling his firearm from its holster.
The officer, who has not been identified, is heard telling someone to “grab the dog” in Spanish.
Footage shows two dogs, a small white Maltese and a larger black American Bully, run toward the officer who points his firearm at the larger dog.
The dogs bark at the officer but do not appear to show any aggression.
The officer repeats his calls to the homeowner to get the dogs before the larger dog runs off in the direction of a second officer who is standing by a police cruiser in the road.
The first officer is heard telling that officer to “get in the car” as he follows in the direction of the dog.
The dog then runs back toward the first officer who is now on the sidewalk.
The view on the footage is partly blocked by the fencing separating the driveway and the sidewalk as the officer opens fire on the pet.
Seven loud gunshots ring out as the officer appears to shoot and kill the dog.
A man and woman come running out of the property, with the woman screaming when she sees the dog dead in the street.
The owner of the dog described the killing of his pet as “murder” and has retained an attorney.
“It was like he was trying to get the attention of the dog. He killed him by his car. That is murder,” Lazaro Abraham told CBS4.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement that the officer had been placed on administrative duty while Miami-Dade Police conduct “a full investigation”.
“I’m deeply disturbed by this video,” she said.
The Independent has reached out to Miami-Dade Police and the mayor’s office for further information.
Animal rights activists have also condemned the killing and said the eight-month old puppy showed “no aggression”.
“This incident did not have had to happen if the officer had been properly trained. We must do better to protect our 4-legged family members,” Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation said in a statement.
“This eight-month-old puppy, Alpha, displayed no aggression and did not deserve to die like this.”
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