Florida Cop Shot Family Dog 3 Times in The Head in Front of Family

A Florida City, Florida family is devastated after a policeman shot their beloved dog three times in the head on Tuesday as the dog ran happily out of her home.

On Tuesday morning, dog owner and rescue volunteer, Gillian Palacios had been preparing to take her children to school and one of the family’s other dogs to the veterinarian. As Palacios packed up her car, she left the doors of the vehicle open. At the same time, a police officer on routine patrol noticed the car doors and approached the family home to make sure they knew about the opened vehicle.

When Palacios’ daughter answered the door, the family’s two-year-old bull dog mix pooch named Duchess ran enthusiastically to the door; no one in the family ever thought a police officer would be at their door early in the morning for no apparent reason. No one had called authorities.

At the moment the front door opened, a happy Duchess ran out the front door. The policeman backed off a few feet, took aim and shot their dog three times in the head. The shocked family ran out, and as they watched the life blood drain from the wounded dog’s body, Duchess wagged her tail until her last dying breath. According to Local10News, the officer told the family, “Your dog charged me.” The officer then walked away, telling her that Animal Services would be by to pick up their dog. The entire scene has been captured on the family’s surveillance video.

Florida City police spokesman Officer Ken Armenteros confirmed that one of the department’s officers shot a dog Tuesday morning, and said the police department is “gathering all the facts at this time.”

“We don’t have the luxury of hind sight,” Armenteros said. “We have to use the information that is given to us in a split second. So, the officer has to make that decision with the information that he has available.”

“She was curious. She wasn’t barking (and) she wasn’t growling. There was no reason for him to think she was aggressive in any way,”cried Palacios. According to Florida City police spokesman Officer Ken Armenteros, police are gathering all of the facts.

Warning: the video is extremely graphic and may not be suitable for all viewers.

Rest in peace Duchess.