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A neighbor can be heard telling Officer Rivera a local dog, "Hiro," had been running around loose for four or five hours Saturday afternoon. The neighbor told Rivera he tried giving the "rabid" dog water when it attacked him.
Footage moments later shows Hiro barking and running toward the officer. Rivera yells at the dog to back up twice before pulling the trigger.
The department is withholding the footage in its entirety due to privacy concerns and the ongoing investigation.
The shooting caused controversy amongst neighbors and animal activists.
Some people thanked the officer saying the dog could have potentially hurt a child, while others opined safer measures could have been taken.
"Thanks to the officer who did the right thing," one person commented on the Vernon PD's Facebook video.
"That could have been a child walking down the street. Thanks for keeping my family safe in Vernon, keep up the good work."
"He pulled out a gun in a residential neighborhood because a dog was barking at him," another person said. "Beyond inappropriate."
The incident remains under investigation by police.
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