Commerce City, CO — Controversy is raging after a police officer in this Denver-area suburb fatally shot a pit bull mix after it got loose. The Adams County District Attorney has promised a full investigation after the outcry about the dog’s death by animal lovers who watched the cell phone video (see below)
The pit bull-lab mix, who was being watched by a dogsitter for the owner who was out of state, wandered loose on Saturday, and a neighbor called 911.
The animal control officer apparently had difficulty securing the dog in a neck harness. Responding officers Tased the dog twice, and then one of the officers opened fire with his department-issued handgun — shooting the dog five times — even though it appears from the video below that the dog may not have been acting aggressively.
Commerce City bans residents from owning pit bulls.
According to The Examiner , the man who called 911 claims that the canine did not necessarily pose a threat to the neighborhood:
“The 3-year-old dog, Chloe, was shot to death Saturday by police responding to a call from Kenny Collins, who lives near the home … where the incident occurred. Collins called police to tell them the animal was running around the neighborhood. He later told 9News that he did not feel threatened by the dog and just wanted animal control to pick it up.”
“But the incident ended with the death of the dog, captured on a cell phone video by his son. Parts of the graphic video were shown on Denver television stations, raising an outcry from some viewers who thought the officers overreacted.”
For now, police say that the officer acted appropriately according to the Denver Post : “For the safety of the community and the officers on scene, the officer fired his weapon multiple times to put down the dog and ensure the safety of everyone.”
Watch the video of the pit bull shooting by police in Commerce City, Colorado:
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