Cleburne police are investigating after a video circulated online of one of its officers coaxing a dog toward him before shooting it.
The short video, taken from a body camera’s perspective, shows a man’s arms wielding a handgun while the officer summons two dogs toward him.
As the animals approached with their tails wagging, the officer fired several times. As one of the dogs fell to the ground, the officer, who has not been identified, took aim at the second dog.
The video ends abruptly, before showing what happened to the other dog.
Although the video shows that the animals were not being aggressive when the officer fired, Cleburne police have said the officer was responding to a 911 call for assistance after several dogs cornered residents in a vehicle.
“The city is obviously concerned about the video showing an officer shooting a dog,” the city said in a written statement. “As is often the case, the short video does not tell the whole story.”
One of the dogs was secured safely, but one of the others became aggressive before animal control personnel arrived, according to the statement.
The Police Department said it would interview any witnesses and review its policies.
“The city of Cleburne takes the safety of our residents, their pets, and our officers seriously,” the statement said.
Following is the city’s official statement:
“The City is obviously concerned about the video showing an officer shooting a dog. As is often the case, the short video does not tell the whole story. The officer was responding to a 911 call for assistance. Three dogs had pinned some residents in a vehicle. One dog was secured without incident before the shooting. The officer was attempting to secure the other dogs until animal control arrived when one dog became aggressive.
“The City of Cleburne takes the safety of our residents, their pets, and our officers seriously. This incident is currently under review. The review will include interviews with witnesses and review of department policies. Once the review is concluded, any actions that may be warranted will be handled swiftly and appropriately.
“The Cleburne Police Department is seeking the public’s help if anyone observed this incident; please contact the Professional Standards Unit at 817.556.8894.”