An officer with the Minneapolis Police Department is under fire after home security footage shows the officer shooting two pet pit bulls in a family’s backyard.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports police responded to a burglary call over the weekend. According to a police report, one police officer was staged behind the home. The report states he fired his weapon twice when “two large pitbulls charged at (the) officer.”
But according to home security footage posted on Facebook by the dogs’ owners, neither pitbull charged at the officer. The video also shows the officer in question jump the fence in the backyard immediately after shooting the dogs.
WARNING: The video below may contain images that some readers might find disturbing.
“My dogs that weren't attacking or charging at him!,” Jennifer LeMay wrote on Facebook.
According to LeMay, her daughters arrived home early and accidentally set off the security alarm. Even though LeMay contacted the security company and had them deactivate the alarm, two Minneapolis officers showed up minutes later.
One dog, Ciroc, suffered a gunshot wound to the face and a broken jaw. The other dog, Rocko, has wounds to the side, face and shoulder. Both dogs are home and expected to recover.
A GoFundMe page seeking medical expenses for the dogs has raised more than $20,000 in just under 24 hours.
The Minneapolis Police Department says it is reviewing the security footage as well as the officer’s body cam footage.
Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.
