The video shows a police officer in California attacking and punching his partner K-9 during what the officers say is a training exercise.
A viewer recorded the horrific footage from a cell phone on Monday near a fire station in Vacaville, a town about 35 miles from Sacramento.
“I heard a dog crying, when I looked, the policeman was beating the dog over and over and was shocked by it, I just thought it was recording,” wrote Robert Palomino on Facebook.
Palomino said he was going to his warehouse when he witnessed the shocking interaction, adding that he regretted not having confronted the policeman.
“I’m sure he saw me,” wrote Palomino. “He stopped hitting the dog when he saw me and went behind the trailers in the video.”
The Vacaville Police Department said it was investigating the incident, adding that it happened after the dog became “aggressive” during a training exercise.
“We understand how disturbing the video looks to many who watch it and the range of emotions it creates,” wrote the department on Facebook on Tuesday.
However, he added that the video did not show how “the canine became aggressive towards its handler” moments earlier.
“Although our canines appear to be pets … they are quite different in many ways,” said the post. “If they are not guided by a trainer, the decisions they make can injure the dog, an officer or an innocent member of the community.”
Captain Matt Lydon told The Vacaville Reporter that the officer, who has not been publicly identified, has been training with the dog for about three or four months and has no previous experience with K-9s.
The mongrel had successfully performed during a narcotics search scenario and was rewarded with a toy – which he then refused to let go of, said Lydon.
“It pissed the dog off. She pounces on him and tries to bite him, ”said Lydon.
The officer had to act quickly to correct the situation, said Lydon, adding “We don’t know what the coach has experienced”.
Palomino told the newspaper that he saw the policeman punch the dog at least 10 times before deciding to start recording.
He and several others on social media found the incident shocking.
“It left me completely confused. I’ve never seen anything like this before, ”said Palomino.
“He was hitting his partner, his co-worker, his best friend.”