Video shows the moments before a police officer tasers a dog after being called out to reports of a fight between canines in Coventry.
West Midlands Police said it was releasing the bodycam footage to provide further context for the incident after the force was criticised online for its response to the incident.
Footage previously shared on social media by a witness showed the officer tasering the dog and then placing the incapacitated animal in a wheelie bin.
West Midlands Police have released the footage after online criticism— (West Midlands Police)
In the clip shared by police, people can be seen trying to separate a group of barking dogs as a child watches on.
The officer tells the young boy to move out of the way as he prepares to intervene. “It’s getting messy,” he can be heard saying on his radio.
“Yeah, this dog’s going to be dead very shortly,” he says as the fight continues. “I can tell…it’s tearing it [other dog] apart.”
A distressed witness at the scene can be heard urging the officer to “stun the dog, stun it” as the out-of-control canine continues to attack the others.
The dog was then stunned and taken to a kennel.
The police video does not show the dog being put in the bin but the force said it hoped the footage would “explain the context” of the incident.
West Midlands Police, in a statement published earlier this week, said it was called to reports of a group of dogs fighting on Milverton Road on 11 July and that there was a threat to the public.
One of the dogs was seen attacking other dogs and could be seen fighting near a number of children. Officers said the dog was tasered because it was out of control and presenting a risk to the public.
“This was a dynamic incident and we needed to contain the dog as quickly as possible to ensure that the danger to the public was eliminated,” West Midlands Police said in the statement.
“Officers needed to contain the dog to ensure that the public, the officers and the dog were in no further danger, it also enabled officers to bring the situation quickly under control.”
The force also addressed false reports on social media that the dog was hit and killed by a police car. The dog was contained by officers until the specialist dog unit arrived with a van which the dog could be moved to.
It was then taken by the Dangerous Dogs Unit and has since been assessed by a vet and secured in kennels. The dog is fit and well and is being looked after by staff at the kennels.
The owner is fully aware of the actions police have taken so far. The incident was captured on officers’ Body Worn Video and will be reviewed as part of the investigation.
A man was also arrested on suspicion of obstructing police and was interviewed on 12 July.
