NYPD Officer Shoots At Dog In Crowd Of People After Going To Wrong Home To Make Arrest, Sparks Outrage [Video]
An attempted arrest in New York went terribly wrong when an NYPD officer allegedly shot and killed a dog. Although there have been many similar cases where dogs have been killed by officers, this one is a bit different due to the series of events that led to the shooting.
According to WABC-TV, several officers were responding to a call about an alleged “dangerous situation” in the Brownsville neighborhood in Brooklyn. A crowd had gathered outside the home due to all of the commotion. Of course, most onlookers just wanted to see what was going on. Some even decided to start filming as the incident unfolded. However, the officers reportedly made one big mistake. Apparently, they’d arrived at the wrong home so the attempted arrest was botched from the very beginning. Unfortunately, they didn’t notice until after the fact. But, that’s not all.
While trying to force their way into the home, they unknowingly let the owner’s dog out. The Free Thought Project reports that the dog was in more of an “excited state” not intending to cause harm. The footage that has been released proves that the observation may be true, based on the dog’s reaction to the officers. Although the dog did jump on one of the officers, no harm was done. However, one of the officers must have felt threatened, because he drew his gun and fired at the dog at point blank range.
The officer’s hasty decision has sparked outrage because many residents simply cannot understand why the officer would shoot at the dog in a crowd of people, putting innocent bystanders at risk. Luckily no one was harmed, but there was the possibility of a person being harmed from bullet fragments. Based on the department’s blemished history where innocent bystanders are concerned, many feel the decision was yet another example of “over-policing” and excessive use of force. Many social media users who viewed the clip of the shocking ordeal have taken to Twitter with their opinions of the officer’s carelessness. Needless to say, some of the comments are quite obscene.
So NYPD officer shoots at dog from point blank range and misses in a crowded area. Guns are dangerous enough. But idiots w/ guns…
— D. (@DoughtyDPerez) April 19, 2015
Cops be so scarey…
NYPD Officer Shoots At A Dog In A Crowd Of People! | New Video http://t.co/eAmBRiHfSz #WSHH via @worldstar— B. Nick ? (@CantBNick) April 19, 2015
Luckily dog was not shot, but why even shoot at the dog?
Caught on camera: NYPD Officer shoots at dog in crowd… http://t.co/HnV0TFuiGn— Pryor's Planet (@PryorsPlanet) April 18, 2015
The police department has confirmed that the person of interest was not in the home. It is unclear whether or not the officer will be reprimanded for the incident.
Do you think the NYPD officer was wrong for firing at the dog? Share your thoughts.
[Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images]
