PETA to hold protest outside Fayetteville police headquarters in viral video of K-9 abuse

A national animal rights group is holding a protest Friday outside the Fayetteville Police Department to demand the firing of a police officer caught on viral video in June striking a police dog.

The protest, organized by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is at noon outside police headquarters at 467 Hay St., according to the release.

"The department’s official statement about the incident indicates that an internal investigation found nothing wrong and goes so far as to blame the K-9 — who apparently bit the handler due to a fear response — for the abuse," a news release said Wednesday. "PETA is asking Fayetteville city leaders to engage an external agency to conduct an unbiased, proper investigation into the incident—and calling for the officer involved to be fired, the K-9 retired, and the department to reassess its use of K-9s altogether."

The PETA statement said the incident shows that the Police Department must end its K-9 program.

“Since the department won’t act to protect its K-9s from further abuse, PETA is calling for an independent investigation into this violent incident and the officer responsible," Daphna Nachminovitch, PETA senior vice president of Cruelty Investigations, said in the release.

The viral video

On June 23, social media users began sharing a video shot by a bystander that shows a uniformed Fayetteville police officer and the dog struggling in a parking lot outside a Walgreens on Owen Drive.

The video shows the officer punching the dog in the head several times before walking toward a patrol vehicle with the dog yoked up by its collar. When the dog attempts to bite the officer's leg, the officer clamps his hand over the dog's muzzle and, while still holding the canine by its collar with its front legs off the ground, continues toward the patrol car.

Internal investigation

On July 5, the Police Department said the internal investigation was completed. A news release said the incident happened when the officer and his dog were asked to conduct an external “sniff” of a motor vehicle that had been legally stopped. The department said that during stop the K-9 bit the handler on the thigh and refused to let go.

The Police Department said the officer, who received medical treatment for his injuries, was forced to strike the animal several times after 10 to 12 seconds of being bitten.

The release outlined further details from its completed internal investigation, including that three law enforcement recordings were reviewed, but did not provide information on the status of the officer and dog involved.

The other details in the release included that:

• The K-9 was seen by a veterinarian post-incident and had no documented injuries.
• The video released to social media does not depict the entirety of the incident.
• The officers deployed the K-9 and "articulated a positive alert on the passenger side of the vehicle."
• The K-9 handler deployed the dog on the driver's side of the vehicle "at which time the K-9 jumped onto the driver’s side door and the handler gave corrective commands."
• The K-9 then circled behind the officer and bit him in the thigh.
• The K-9 "refused to release the bite as the handler gave verbal commands and attempted to correct the K9 behavior through collar manipulation. "
• The officer, while being bitten, "had to step over and around the K9 to gain a position of control while attempting to stop the aggression."
• The incident was reviewed by the Department's internal “Master Handler” and the chain of command.
• The K-9 Team training records were reviewed.
• The incident was reviewed by three independent external “Master Handlers” from agencies across our state.
• The incident was reviewed by the International Police Working Dog Association (IPWDA).
• The incident was reviewed by legal counsel.

The names of the officer and the dog were not released.

Public safety reporter Joseph Pierre can be reached at jpierre@gannett.com.