Baltimore Police Officer Jeffrey Bolger Called To Catch Lost Dog, Ends Up Cutting Its Throat

Baltimore cop Jeffrey Bolger was called to help catch a loose dog, but instead ended up slashing the throat of the already restrained animal.

The incident took place early this week, but the Baltimore Police Department say they just caught wind of it on Monday. They say the officer was called for a report of a stray dog, but it turned out to just be someone’s pet that had gotten loose.

Sarah Gossard had been posting messages on Facebook hoping to find her dog, a 7-year-old shar-pei named Nala. Unfortunately, officer Jeffrey Bolger got to the dog before Sarah could ever see her again.

Police said that officers secured the dog using a dog pole, but then for some unknown reason Bolger decided to slash the animal’s throat. Charging documents say that before cutting the dog’s throat, Bolger yelled, “I am going to [expletive] gut this thing.”

Jeffrey Bolger has been suspended without pay and charged with cruelty to animals.

“Unfortunately, at some point after the dog was contained, one of our officers used a knife and cut the dog’s throat. This is outrageous and unacceptable breach of our protocol,” Baltimore police Deputy Commissioner Dean Palmere said.

Gossard admits that her dog might have been aggressive, but that did not warrant being killed in such a horrific way.

“She was just the sweetest dog and would never hurt anyone. She was just scared that day and through all of those events — scared and lost, thirsty, hungry — yes I’m very sure that she bit someone, but the actions after that were not OK,” Gossard, told 11 News.

Police added that they didn’t think the animal was being aggressive to the officers.

The Baltimore Police Department has taken the unusual step of condemned the officer’s actions.

“We have no words to describe this. To say that we are appalled at this allegation is an understatement,” said Baltimore police Deputy Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez.

Gossard added that Bolger is not fit to be a police officer.

“I don’t want him to have his job, I don’t want him to be able to go out on calls and react like that to a person, to a dog, to anything. That’s not OK, that’s not OK,” Gossard said.

Just one day before police officer Jeffrey Bolger allegedly slashed the dog’s throat, another officer shot and killed a steer that escaped a slaughterhouse. Police said that incident was justified.