Residents Allege Video Shows Police Shot Barking Dog With Bean Bag Gun
WEST COVINA (CBSLA.com) — A West Covina family alleges that an online video shows police officers shooting their dog with a bean bag gun and spraying another dog with a fire extinguisher.
The video posted to YouTube dated Aug. 11 apparently shows West Covina Police Department officers responding to a home on the 1400 block of East Rowland Avenue.
According to resident James Clark, police responded after complaints that a dog was repeatedly barking outside the home.
Shortly after arriving on the scene, officers allegedly shot the black Labrador with bean bags, Clark said. While the video does not directly capture the dog being shot, audio of the dog yelping in pain can be heard on the video.
The officers in the video are then seen spraying a fire extinguisher towards another dog behind a gate at the residence and at the dog outside the gate.
After spraying the extinguisher, the officers can be seen in the video backing away from the emission and attempting to disperse the cloud with their hands.
Clark claims both dogs "are extremely traumatized and hiding in a bush and will not come out" following the incident.
"We are extremely heart broken that this had to happen to us and appalled that there are no better protocols in place to ensure that animals are not being victimized," said Clark in a statement.
There was no immediate response to a request for comment from the West Covina Police Department.