Video of police dog hitting dog; Police dog who bit a dog is seen hitting a dog in viral video, Fayetteville police say in release of their investigation findings

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) – Fayetteville police responded Friday to a video circulating online that allegedly shows a police dog hitting his dog.

The video, recorded on June 23, sparked outrage on social media.

It happened at Walgreens on the corner of Village Drive and Owen Drive. The video appears to show the officer hitting his sniffer dog several times.

Fayetteville police said they received numerous complaints and comments expressing concern about the incident.

“The video posted on social media does not show the entire incident,” said a FPD press release.

After an investigation, the FPD announced that it would publish several findings.

The handler involved was bitten by his dog prior to the recorded incident and received medical treatment for his injuries. A veterinarian examined the K9 and found no injuries to the dog.

The dog handler and the dog were sent out to “sniff” a vehicle stopped by the police from the outside.

After the handler sent his dog, the sniffer dog on the passenger side of the car gave a positive alert. The dog then sniffed the driver’s side of the car and jumped on the driver’s door. The handler told the dog to lie down, whereupon the dog lay down, ran after the sniffer dog and bit him on the thigh.

Despite verbal commands and manipulation of the collar, the dog refused to stop biting. After 10 to 12 seconds of biting, the handler punched the dog seven times, FPD said.

The final blow caused the dog to release his grip.

The handler then lifted the dog by the collar off the ground and away from his body, but the dog again tried to bite his handler.

The handler puts his hand on the dog’s muzzle, takes him into a kennel and orders him to sit down, which the dog does.

According to FPD, a witness gave a statement to police. During the investigation, statements were also taken from the dog handler and the officer who conducted the traffic stop and requested a police dog.

During the review, investigators reviewed video footage from two body-worn cameras and one in-car camera. The FPD’s internal “master handler” and chain of command reviewed the evidence, as did independent agencies.

The names of the dog handler and the police dog were not immediately released.