Shocking Footage Shows Detroit Police Officer Shoot And Kill Dog In Its Own Garden

*This article contains content some may find distressing.*

Animal campaigners are up in arms after a dog was shot and killed by a police officer in its own garden.

Video footage from the incident, which took place in Detroit on 3rd August, has gone viral.

The distressing footage - caught on a home camera system - shows a white dog barking through its fence at a group of police officers and their accompanying police dogs.

The animal - believed to be a pit bull - can be seen following the group and barking as they walk up a path near its house. When one of the K9s strays towards the fence, the animals begin fighting, with the white dog clamping its jaw around the police dog's snout.

In upsetting scenes, the female police officer then takes out her gun and shoots the white dog in the face.

The dog is still for a moment before it begins violently twitching on the floor. The video cuts out at this point, but Animal Hope and Wellness report the shot was fatal.

The footage has since circulated online and animal rights campaigners have called for the police officer to be reprimanded, blaming the attack on her "losing control of the dog".

However, Detroit police have since defended the officer, saying she followed protocol.

In an interview with Detroit Free Press, Police Commander Darin Szilagyi explained that the group of police were searching the area for an apprehended suspect's illegal weapon, believed to have been tossed in a garden while he was on the run.

"Her partner was being attacked and we demand that our officers protect not only themselves but their partners and citizens. At this point it was a clear and present danger; her dog was being viciously harmed," Szilagyi said. "It's unfortunate it came to this, we don't like to see any animal hurt."

The police commander also stated that the fence was illegally constructed, thus putting the public at danger.

"I'm a dog lover, I own several dogs, I have a responsibility to protect the public from my animals, just like anyone else," he said. "Keep your dogs in the backyards and this won't be an issue."

Topics: Life News, News, Animal Welfare

Ciara Sheppard

Ciara is a freelance writer working for Tyla. After graduating with an English Lit and Media degree from the University of Sussex, Ciara held jobs at GLAMOUR and Yahoo Style before packing up for a solo travelling trip around South America.

@ciarasheppard