Graphic and disturbing footage of police shooting a dog has been making it’s way virally around the internet.
The dog’s owner — Leon Rosby of Hawthorne, California — took the video as he approached the Hawthorne SWAT team. The team were involved in a barricade situation on 137th Street and Jefferson.
At the same time, another man was recording with his own camera and is heard saying that Rosby had asked the police why there were no black cops there.
Rosby’s attorney, Michael Gulden, said his client was simply filming the police incident and not obstructing officers as the police alleged.
Rosby is seen in the video, walking close to the police with a rottweiler dog as he films on is phone. After talking with the officers, Rosby is heard saying “Civil rights violation” as he returns the dog to his car.
Some police officers then approached Rosby who walks back in their direction and he is arrested and handcuffed. At this point, the dog is barking in the car and soon jumps out of the vehicle through the rear window and up at one of the police officers .
At this point, the dog is shot four times and killed.
The Hawthorne police department have not yet commented officially on the barricade incident or the fatal shooting of the dog. It is expected that they will plead self-defense when a court action is brought against them by Rosby’s attorney.
It is clear that the Police were potentially in danger from the aggressive rottweiler dog. The question remains if they acted in self-defense or if shooting the animal four times was a disproportionate response.
Do you think that the police were justified in their arrest of Rosby? And were the police right to shoot the dog four times? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments below.