More than one million people have signed a petition calling for the Metropolitan Police to be held “criminally accountable” after two dogs were shot dead by officers in front of screaming witnesses.
Footage on social media earlier this month showed officers pursuing a man walking the dogs along a canal towpath in Tower Hamlets, east London, following reports that one of the pets had attacked a woman nearby.
The situation then appeared to become heated before the man was tasered to the floor and the animals shot dead. The owner of the dogs has been charged with being in charge of dangerously out-of-control dogs.
The Met has defended its actions, saying police officers “have a duty to act where necessary before any further injury is caused”.
A petition set up calling for the force to be held “criminally accountable” for the death of the dogs has now racked up one million signatures. Some 1,0172,432 had signed the Change.org petition by Saturday afternoon, with a target of 1.5 million set by organisers, who hit out at what they described as the “barbaric killing” of the animals.
Hundreds of animal rights activists gathered outside New Scotland Yard on Westminster Embankment on 11 May to protest against the shooting of the dog.
Animal Rising, the group that disrupted the Grant National, held a vigil where attendees heard speeches and lit candles. A small crowd also gathered outside Limehouse police station, Tower Hamlets.
The police watchdog earlier said it would launch an investigation following the incident.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it is “appropriate” that complaints linked to the incident on 7 May should be “independently investigated”. It added that it understands the concern caused by the shooting.
Amanda Rowe, an IOPC regional director, said: “We understand the public concern regarding this incident and it is appropriate that it should be independently investigated.
“We will examine whether the actions of the officers involved were reasonable and proportionate in all of the circumstances and in line with relevant policy and procedure.”
The police were called out on May 7 at just after 5pm to reports of a woman being attacked by a dog on Commercial Road in east London. She suffered an injury to her leg but did not need hospital treatment.
In a Facebook live post earlier this week, dog owner Louie Turnbull, 46, told supporters: “This is really difficult for me and I am struggling with it.
“I have had them since they were puppies and to have them taken away like that right in front of my face shot, and I am covered in the dogs’ blood, it was just so disgusting.”
The police said that as part of their enquiries to safeguard the public, local officers supported by specialists from the Dog Support Unit and Specialist Firearms Command, had spoken to a male who was in possession of the two dogs.
It was after this point that police firearms officers destroyed the two dogs at the scene, a spokesman said.
Turnbull, 46, of no fixed address, appeared in custody at Thames magistrates’ court on Tuesday charged with a dangerous dog offence.
He pleaded not guilty to a charge of being the person/owner of a dog that was dangerously out of control (with injury).
He admitted a charge of being in possession/custody of a dog while disqualified from owning or keeping a dog.
He is next due to appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 6 June.
