SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake City police officer shot a dog early Sunday that later had to be euthanized after police say the officer was bit, and the dog then tried to bite a second officer.
Police were called to a convenience store parking lot, 1692 W. North Temple, about 3:15 a.m. on a report of people trespassing.
“This area has experienced recurring public safety challenges,” police stated Sunday.
Officers found several people in front of the store who began walking away as police approached. In a body-camera video released Sunday, as an officer approaches the group, a white dog immediately begins barking at him. Despite having a collar and leash on, no one is holding the leash and the dog lunges at the officer and bites him, according to police.
“Get your dog, or I’m going to shoot it,” the officer yells at the group in the video with his gun drawn and pointed at the dog. “Take it out of here, or he’s dead.”
The officer was later treated for a non-life threatening “lower-body injury,” police stated.
After the officer was bitten, he started running across the parking lot to stop people who had walked away when he arrived. While he was doing that, the dog started barking at a second officer. The dog’s owner is seen in the video trying to hold the dog’s collar.
“Hold that … dog. Do not let that dog go,” the second officer can be heard saying in his body-camera video.
The officer has his gun drawn and is backing up as the dog breaks free from the woman’s grip and continues to bark and move aggressively toward the officer.
“I will … shoot your dog,” the officer warns.
As the owner appears to try and regain control of her dog, the first officer who was bitten arrives at the scene, tells his partner to move and then shoots the dog after diverting the animal’s attention to him. The owner begins screaming while a man runs toward the dog but is told by police to stay back.
“The dog was critically injured. Salt Lake County Animal Services later euthanized the dog,” police stated. “After the scene was processed and evidence collected, Salt Lake City police officers and Salt Lake County Animal Services provided the dog’s owner an opportunity for a private moment to be with her dog.”
The officers then drove the owner to her apartment. No arrests were made or citations issued.
“This is a difficult situation for everyone involved. I understand how people deeply care for their animals, and I recognize the pain this dog’s owner and those who knew this dog are experiencing. At the same time, our officers were faced with a dangerous and rapidly evolving situation. The officers were forced to make a difficult, split-second decision to protect themselves. None of our officers ever want to be placed in these types of situations but our priority will always be the safety of our officers and community,” Chief Brian Redd said in a prepared statement.
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