A South Florida cop shot a family’s dog three times in the head early this morning for absolutely no reason, just three feet from the shocked homeowner who had no need for police assistance.
The shooting was captured on the family’s surveillance camera.
Gillian Palacios was preparing to take her son to school, placing items in her car in the driveway of her single family home. Like many folks, she left the car door open to load items to take another dog to the vet’s office with her 8-year-old son.
Leaving her car door open cost the life of her family pet, Dutchess.
A currently unknown Florida City police officer drove by and noticed that a car door was open shortly before 8:15 a.m. (time stamp on video is one hour behind).
The officer went to the Palacios’ home thinking that he would let the homeowner know the door was open, but when he got there, it all went wrong after he knocked on the door.
The officer knocked and took a few steps back.
Then, Palacios opened the door just a crack, knowing that her dog was at the front door. Her 18 year-old daughter Sage was standing behind her at that point, wondering what had made the family pet start barking. The home has a kennel crate in front of the door with animal food dishes.
The dog nudged the door further open, but according to Palacios, wasn’t agitated by the activity, just curious as most dogs are when visitors approach.
According to Palacios, and confirmed by video, as soon as the officer spotted the dog, he placed his hand on his service weapon.
Within a matter of seconds the dog used its nose to fully open the door and the police officer fired three shots from his gun into the animal’s head while retreating, killing the 40-pound, mixed-breed family pet.
Gillian Palacios was only three feet away when the entire incident began, so was her daughter Sage. Palacios’ son was watching the entire incident through a nearby window too.
Luckily, neither was injured in the attack.
Gillian Palacios can clearly be seen in frame opening her door less than 20 feet from the Florida cop as he fired his last round.
“I was about to go running out to get here, I’m lucky that I wasn’t the one shot,” said Gillian Palacios.
Her husband, Adrian Palacios, who drove back from work said that, “I’ve left my car open for 30 minutes at a time without drawing police attention. I just don’t understand why this officer had to disturb us. I don’t understand.”
The video below does tell the entire story.
Palacios has two dogs of her own, including the deceased pet, and acts as a foster home for injured pet dogs through the Homestead, Florida based, non-profit group, “[__This is The Dog__](http://thisisthedog.com/)” too.
Clearly, the officer disregarded the life safety of this family in hastily drawing his weapon and firing at a dog in front of a house where no criminal activity was suspected.
