Last Wednesday, a Hammond citizen filmed and posted a disturbing video on YouTube. The video was uploaded with the comment: ‘Hammond cops abuses K9 unit and slaps dog with leash and lifts dog by throat.”
In the video, you can see the police officer hitting and abusing his K9 partner by using K9’s leash to lift the dog up off of the ground before striking him repeatedly. Since posting online the video has gone viral on the Internet and many people have commented saying how disgusted they are by the officer’s actions.
The Hammond Police Department has reviewed the video and the involved officer has been placed on administrative and removed his K-9 partner from his care while a full investigation was being carried out.
McInerney, a K9 trainer of Macs K9 in Crete, Illinois said that if the dog attempting to bite someone, then the way the officer handled it by its leash and collar was appropriate. “If that dog was trying to bite, biting is a ‘hanging offense,’ and we will choke them out to get them to come to their senses because that shows the animal who’s in control.”
Hammond Police Lieutenant Richard Hoyda said: “At this time, the department has observed behavior by the K-9 handler that appears to be inconsistent with acceptable training guidelines.” Training them with physical praise or discipline will be better to these companions who always help humans in many ways.
Watch the video below! Warning: Some readers may find the clip upsetting.
h/t: Newsner