Vacaville officer who punched police dog still working
(Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
A Vacaville police officer who was caught punching a dog during a training session last month is still working his regular shift, according to a Vacaville spokesperson.
The officer, who has not been identified, was recorded by an eyewitness who said he was concerned over the well-being of the dog after hearing it cry several times just before he began recording the incident.
The video went viral after it was posted to Facebook. It shows the officer straddling the dog and delivering at least one punch to the dog’s face.
The eyewitness who recorded the video said the officer dealt nearly a dozen punches before he began filming.
After Solano NewsNet and other media outlets reported on the video, the Vacaville Police Department defended the officer’s actions, saying it was in response to the dog lunging at the officer and was a show of dominance, which the agency said is in line with their policy.
Canine training groups have long denounced the use of dominance training, calling it an ineffective method of correcting a dog’s behavior.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the City of Vacaville said the officer remains on duty despite receiving hundreds of emails and other messages from members of the public calling for his termination. Kris Concepcion, Vacaville’s fire department chief who serves as the city’s interim spokesperson, told a local newspaper that the agency was confident the officer posed no safety threat to the public.
“If we had a concern about the officer’s temper, that decision would have been made,” Conception told the Daily Republic in an interview.
The officer and the dog have been separated, with the dog being placed into the care of an unnamed third party. Vacaville officials say an investigation has been launched into the incident, which will be conducted in partnership with a third-party organization.
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