The family apparently left their car door open and the officer took notice, so he knocked on their door to let them know.
The shooting was caught on video, which shows the cop knocking on the door and then immediately stepping back as the two-year-old bull terrier exits the house when the door opens. As soon as the officer steps back, he fired a few shots at the dog.
Gillian Palacios, the owner of the dog, said her daughter was trying to help the dog after it was shot three times by the cop, and the dog was still wagging its tail.
The family said they didn’t understand why their dog was killed for simply running into its yard.
Palacios said that before she had the chance to do anything, the police officer had his gun out and shot the dog three times in the head. She added that the dog was just curious and she wasn’t barking, nor was she growling.
The officer, who has not been identified, is currently on administrative leave as an investigation is being conducted.
A spokesman for the Florida City police defended the police officer’s actions, saying that they don’t have hindsight and officers have to use the info that is given to them in a split second.
The dog was a rescue dog and the family recently adopted her from a shelter. A staff member at the shelter said the dog was extremely loving and she was docile.
