Ogden Police Release Body Camera Video of Dog Shooting

OGDEN, Utah – Ogden police have released body camera video of an incident Tuesday in which an officer shot a dog. They said the video shows that the officer was justified in shooting the dog to defend himself. The dog’s owner said the situation should never have escalated to that point.

Police said they were called to a house Tuesday by the Utah Division of Child and Family Services for assistance. When officers arrived, video shows them walk up the driveway, and a dog walks out from behind a pickup truck.

“Is the doggie nice?” an officer asked.

“Let me put him in the house,” the owner, Freddy Gallegos, replied off camera.

One of the officers whistled at the dog, which was on a lead, and it approached him. As the dog reached the officer, it began to bark. Most of the incident happened below the level of the camera, but it appears the dog was jumping up on the officer. As the officer retreated, he pulled out his gun and fired, hitting the dog once. The dog then ran back to the truck. The officer was not seriously injured and the dog, Kilo, survived the incident.

“I think the officer reacted appropriately in defending themselves. They were being attacked. The dog was up on him in their neck area and he responded in, I think, a very appropriate manner,” said Deputy Chief Eric Young Tuesday morning.

Related: Family Outraged After Ogden Police Shoot Dog

Gallegos said the shooting should never have happened. He said the officers should have backed away when he said he would put Kilo in the house.

“He clearly seen him coming. He could have made the decision, ‘Hey, maybe I shouldn’t walk up there. Maybe, let him grab him first or whatever,’ but he didn’t,” Gallegos said.

Gallegos said police cited him for an animal attack. He said he plans to fight that citation and wants the city to pay Kilo’s vet bills.