The Met’s directorate of professional standards has ruled no investigation will take place into the shooting of two dogs in Tower Hamlets, east London, last week, after reviewing body cam footage and determining no misconduct had occurred by officers.
The dogs, named Marshall and Millionaire, were shot dead by armed police at 5pm on Sunday after allegedly attacking a woman and her dog (there’s some dispute whether that even happened). Here’s the footage if you missed it:
— Connor Taylor (@Connorlt04) May 7, 2023
The owner of the dogs, Louie Turnbull, has since been charged with two dangerous dog offences; being the owner of a dog that was dangerously under control and being in possession of a dog while disqualified from owning or keeping a dog.
Opinion has been heavily split on whether the police were justified in shooting the dogs dead, and a petition has been set up to that effect which was rapidly approaching 150,000 signatures at time of writing. Rescue dog handler Sadie Geoghegan-Dann, who started the petition, says:
“The Metropolitan Police are attempting to justify the barbaric killing of two dogs in Tower Hamlets, London.
Why is it acceptable for the police to not only Taser their owner, but shoot and kill both dogs at close range?! One of which seemingly doesn’t die straight away, either, and is left to suffer on the canal path while shocked onlookers are left screaming.
And why, too, does one police officer, who has one of the dogs secure in a catch pole, then choose to release that dog and let it run back to its owner, only to be shot as it runs away?”
It’s a tricky one. Obviously the dogs did pose some kind of threat but was it absolutely necessary to shoot them dead? I suppose you eliminate the risk of another person, child or pet being maimed or killed by these two dogs, which had (allegedly) proven themselves to be dangerous, but still. Certainly doesn’t help that they were under the supervision of an irresponsible idiot who wasn’t even allowed to keep pets in the first place. I wonder why?
For the dog that attacked a police horse in Victoria Park and caused all hell to break loose, click HERE.
