Citizens call for the badge removed from police officer caught on video abusing his K9
Concerned citizens are calling for the badge of one of North Carolina’s Salisbury Police Department’s officers.
The man allegedly abused his K9, named Zuul, a few weeks ago.
He was shown on video swinging the dog over his shoulder by the leash, slamming him into a police SUV, and hitting the dog in the head as he got back into the car.
The incident seems to have been caused by the dog simply leaving the car when he wasn’t supposed to.
In full view
The Salisbury Police Department issued a statement after a video of the incident was obtained by Fox 46 News.
The good news is that they have assured the public that Zuul is ok after getting a check-up from the vet. He was also separated from his human partner and was being cared for by another member of the force.
Please note that videos of the story may contain images of animal abuse.
A Facebook post noted that he is “…happy and healthy, and taking some time off.”
The backlash
The separation from Zuul is not enough for dog-lovers and concerned citizens who don’t want to see violence in police officers in any way. Commenters demanded that all dogs be removed from all officers present at the incident.
As of this writing, more than 98,000 people have also signed a petition to have the unnamed officer’s badge taken away. The petition states that: “there is absolutely no context needed for anyone to clearly see the abuse this dog is being forced to take at the hands of the K9’s partner.”
The petition also states:
“It is very clear by the conversation heard in the background that there are other members of the police department who are in on the abuse. This is not an isolated incident given how nonchalant the bystanders are and how fast the officer was to abuse Zuul.
If this is how the Salisbury police department treats their own K9 partners, how do they treat their suspects when there are no witnesses?”
In defense of the defenseless
An outside agency is leading the investigation into the incident, according to Salisbury Police Chief Jerry Stokes.
The name of the officer was not released to the public.
Salisbury citizens, including local PETA members, joined a virtual Salisbury City Council meeting demanding answers about the incident.
Rachel Bellis, the manager of local affairs for the cruelty investigations department at PETA, said:
“If this wasn’t a police officer, that person caught on video would be charged with cruelty to animals. There’s no scenario where hitting, slamming, and choking a dog is called for.”
According to WCNC News, Salisbury Mayor Pro Tem, Al Heggins, is demanding transparency.
“Our community and the nation watched in horror at the violence against this K9 Officer in service to our residents and also heard officers engaging in very disturbing conversation that further erodes public confidence and trust. The City must provide ALL the information allowable under the law and not give even the slightest semblance of non-transparency.”
Hopefully, we’ll get some answers and justice soon.
Be sure to scroll down below to see recent news about the investigation.
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Source: Change.org, WCNC News, Fox46 News, The City of Salisbury, YouTube – Fox46 News, Facebook – Salisbury Police Department, YouTube – WCNC