Surveillance footage has surfaced of an NYPD officer, who seems unprovoked, shooting a Bronx woman’s dog at point-blank range in February.
The 4-year-old dog “Spike” belonged to Yvonne Rosado, 42, of Belmont, according to the Daily News, who first reported the incident on March 24.
“The officer just reacted badly,” she told the News. “I was screaming, ‘He’s friendly! He’s friendly,’ but he still did that to my dog.”
From the footage, it appears the dog slipped outside Rosado’s apartment in a non-confrontational manner—but as Spike moves closer, the officer quickly draws his weapon and fires directly into the dog’s face from just a few feet away.
The News reported that the officer was standing near a neighbor’s daughter, Serena Santiago, who is 16 years old.
“What if he had missed the dog and shot my daughter?” the teen’s mother, Irma Sue Santiago, 46, asked the Daily News.
She says the police officer was never at risk, stating “Spike died wagging his tail,” an indication that he was friendly.
Multiple sources have reported that Rosado has filed lawsuits against the NYPD and the city.
“He was like a big Snuffleupagus—a gentle giant,” Rosado told the News.
An NYPD spokesman confirmed that the incident was under review by the Force Investigation Division.
Friends Read Free