Citizens were stunned and appalled when footage emerged of an officer abusing his K9 – in view of other members of the force!

In fact, one officer can be heard on a body camera recording saying “We’re good … no witnesses.”

When the punishment does not fit

We’ve had countless conversations about police conduct and violence over the past year, but it’s clear that not even vulnerable members of the force are safe from certain kinds of officers.

In this case, the K9 handler chose to punish the dog for getting out of the SUV when he was not supposed to by slinging the dog over his shoulder by the leash and then slamming the animal into the SUV. He finished his violent outburst by slapping the dog in the head once he got him back into the car.

Please be warned that clicking on any video of the incident will expose you to graphic images of abuse.

North Carolina’s Salisbury Police Department was forced to issue a statement after a video of the incident was obtained by Fox 46 News. They have assured the public that the dog, named Zuul, is ok and is no longer partnered with the officer in question.

In a Facebook post assuring the public about the well-being of the animal, the department said “He is in good hands, happy and healthy, and taking some time off.”

He’s lucky it wasn’t worse

Roy Taylor, a veteran K-9 handler of more than 20 years who has been the police chief in 3 different cities in North Carolina said of the incident:

“I think this was an example of something you should not do. By slinging the dog over his shoulder, carrying him back, he’s cutting off that blood supply and air for several seconds, and then by throwing him in the vehicle the way he did, he risked causing some cervical spine or cerebral spine injuries to the dog.”

That much seems obvious, though it’s hard to say much more while the incident is under investigation. We just hope the dog is currently getting some excellent treatment and never faces an abusive handler again.

Taylor also pointed out that from an administrative standpoint, the situation was an even bigger infraction than one might realize. K9s are considered “equipment” in a police budget and they’re very expensive because of the specialized training they go through before joining the force.

“Sometimes it can be up to $20,000 to $25,000 and the potential damage to the dog’s training,” Taylor said. “Now going forward, the dog’s going to have to reconsider whether he gets out of the car at all.”

Accountability

Another piece of important equipment? Body cameras.

In the video, other officers can be heard asking if body cameras are on and then asks that they be turned off. It’s unclear if anyone aside from the officer that allegedly got physically abusive with the dog is under investigation.

An outside agency is leading the investigation into the entire matter.

In the meantime, Salisbury Police Chief Jerry Stokes delivered a response that didn’t sit well with everyone who heard it, claiming that the alleged actions might just be part of training tactics.

“When a K-9 is non-compliant with the handler’s commands, the handler is trained to correct the dog,” Stokes said.

But Fox2Now asked a former police officer who trained dogs for law enforcement agencies, Kyle Heyen, about the matter and he said “The actions of the handler were not appropriate.”

“If you’re frustrated because that dog came out at that point in time and you respond with that much frustration, it just makes you wonder what that officer is going to do in a real-life situation.”

Awaiting investigation

We’re sending good thoughts to Zuul while his fellow officers figure out the best course of action.

You can scroll down below to see an official statement being delivered by the police (it does not include footage from the incident in question).

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Source: Fox2Now, Fox46 News, The City of Salisbury, YouTube – Fox46 News, Facebook – Salisbury Police Department