Huffington Post – by Isaac Saul
If you heard that people were protesting over a police shooting, you might not expect the shooting to involve a dog.
But in Salt Lake City, Utah, that’s exactly what happened. Sean Kendall’s dog was shot in his own backyard on June 18, and a week later hundreds of people protested in front of the Salt Lake City Police Department, wielding signs and cheering in support of pets and animal owners.
In the video above, Kendall can be seen confronting a pair of officers only minutes after hearing about the incident that occurred on his property. According to a sergeant on scene, the officer who shot Kendall’s dog, Geist, was “looking for a lost child” when he moved into Kendall’s backyard and was approached by the gray Weimaraner.
“I believe this officer made a terrible judgment call,” Kendall told Fox13. “In my profession, if I make a terrible judgment I’m fired.”
The identity of the officer, Brett Olsen, was confirmed on Friday in a statement made by Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank. Olsen was considered one of the “heroes” from the Salt Lake City Trolley Square shooting in 2007, where he helped bring down a gunman that opened fire in public.
In the same statement, Burbank confirmed Olsen did in fact shoot the dog. He suggested forensic evidence would show the dog was very close to officer Olsen when he discharged his weapon.
“Evidence shows that the dog was extremely close,” Burbank said. “In fact, within feet of the officer. We do have documentation.”
To see Kendall’s full confrontation with the on-scene officers, watch the video above.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/30/police-shoot-dog-owner-confronts-them_n_5544351.html