Caught On Video: Miami-Dade Police Officer Discharges Weapon; Dog Shot, Killed

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A home surveillance camera captured a Miami-Dade police officer discharging his weapon six times on a dog, killing him while responding to a call.

It happened near in unincorporated Miami-Dade near Miami Gardens on January 12, at around 7 p.m. as a police officer was responding to a call regarding dogs barking.

The officer, who was not identified, can be seen in the front yard of a residence when two dogs appear in the video.

The dogs, a smaller white one and a larger black one, are seen coming out of the residence and as they approach the officer, the officer tells the homeowner in Spanish, in a loud voice, "Señor, agarre el perro, (Sir, grab the dog)." The officer is again heard telling the person inside the house to grab the dog.

Just as the officer finishes telling the person inside the house to grab the dog, the black dog is seen going towards a second police vehicle. Meanwhile, the officer turns his attention to that vehicle and as he is seen following the dog, he is heard yelling in the direction of the cruiser, "Señora," and then "get in the car." He was telling a second person, possibly a second police officer, to get in the car.

As the officer walks outside of the property, towards the other police cruiser, the dog turns his attention to the officer and that is when the video captures the loud banging of a gun going off.

There were seven shots fired in total and then the officer is heard saying an expletive.

Then, he is heard getting on the police radio saying, "Shots fired, shots fired."

"It was like he was trying to get the attention of the dog. He killed him by his car. That is murder," said the dog owner, Lazaro Abraham.

The video then captures a man and a woman exiting the house in the direction of the officer.

The woman is heard in Spanish saying, "Mataron el perro? (Did they kill the dog?). The officer is then heard saying in Spanish, "Soltaron al perro? (Did you release the dog?)

The video then shows a woman screaming and crying, a man is also heard screaming.

The owners of the dog have retained the services of an attorney in the case and animal activists are up in arms about what they are calling, "the unfair murder of a dog."

Miami-Dade police said this is an active and open investigation.

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava released a statement saying, "I'm deeply disturbed by this video. The officer involved has been re-assigned to administrative duty and the department is conducting a full investigation into the incident."

CBS4 News obtained the video via the Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation. A home surveillance camera captured a Miami-Dade police officer discharging his weapon six times on a dog, killing him while responding to a call.

It happened near in unincorporated Miami-Dade near Miami Gardens on January 12, at around 7 p.m. as a police officer was responding to a call regarding dogs barking.

The officer, who was not identified, can be seen in the front yard of a residence when two dogs appear in the video.

The dogs, a smaller white one and a larger black one, are seen coming out of the residence and as they approach the officer, the officer tells the homeowner in Spanish, in a loud voice, "Señor, agarre el perro, (Sir, grab the dog)." The officer is again heard telling the person inside the house to grab the dog.

Just as the officer finishes telling the person inside the house to grab the dog, the black dog is seen going towards a second police vehicle. Meanwhile, the officer turns his attention to that vehicle and as he is seen following the dog, he is heard yelling in the direction of the cruiser, "Señora," and then "get in the car." He was telling a second person, possibly a second police officer, to get in the car.

As the officer walks outside of the property, towards the other police cruiser, the dog is seen walking towards the officer, who at that point was shining his flashlight at the animal. That is when the video captures the loud banging of a gun going off.

There were seven shots fired in total and then the officer is heard saying an expletive.

Then, he is heard getting on the police radio saying, "Shots fired, shots fired."

"It was like he was trying to get the attention of the dog. He killed him by his car. That is murder," said the dog owner, Lazaro Abraham.

The video then captures a man and a woman exiting the house in the direction of the officer.

The woman is heard in Spanish saying, "Mataron el perro? (Did they kill the dog?). The officer is then heard saying in Spanish, "Soltaron al perro? (Did you release the dog?)

The video then shows a woman screaming and crying, a man is also heard screaming.

The owners of the dog have retained the services of an attorney in the case and
animal activists are up in arms about what they are calling, "the unfair murder of a dog."

Miami-Dade police said this is an active and open investigation.

CBS4 News obtained the video via the Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation.