The Metropolitan Police is being called out for tasering a man and shooting his two dogs dead by the Limehouse Cut in East London on May 7, Sunday.
On Sunday, around 5:00 PM, the Met said they were called to reports of a woman being attacked by a dog and the officers went to the scene.
Six police officers followed a man with his two dogs along the Limehouse Cut. And the police were heard persuading the man to surrender the dogs.
In a very upsetting video, the man can be seen holding his two dogs, who were obviously barking due to distress, and six police officers approaching while armed with animal catcher poles, a riot shield and guns.
For a moment, the owner was able to calm his dogs down. But instead of helping pacify the situation down, the police started shouting and became more aggressive.
So, the dogs started barking again and that’s when the situation escalated and the dogs were shot to their death.
As per the BBC report, a Met spokesperson said in a statement, “Officers attended the location where the aggressive behaviour of two dogs was of considerable concern and posed a significant threat to them.”
They also added, “A man was arrested in connection with the incident for having a dog dangerously out of control and assault offences. He has been taken into police custody.”
The statement also revealed that no one was taken to the hospital and that the two dogs, named Marshall and Millions, “were destroyed by the police”.
“This is never an easy decision for any officer to take, but police have a duty to act where necessary before any further injury is caused,” the Met Police said.
However, locals and internet users alike were criticizing the actions of the force saying what they did was inhumane and that they do not feel safe around the police.
One woman told BBC London, “The way of dealing with this with guns in the middle of the street, with us sitting on our balcony watching this, it just doesn’t feel safe.”
“I don’t think the dogs looked aggressive, they were both wiggling their tails,” the woman continued.
Criticism and public outrage against the Met Police continues to grow as people protest both in the streets and online for both Marshall and Millions.
A peaceful vigil has been held in front of the headquarters of the Met Police on May 12 in memory of Marshall and Millions, according to wildlife protection & animal welfare campaigner, Dominic Dyer.
Furthermore, an online petition to hold the Met Police accountable for the dog shooting has attracted almost 900,000 signatures, at the time of writing this article.
In addition to all of these, a video of the situation that led to the tragic end of the two dogs is circulating on social media.
In the video, the woman, who allegedly called the police, is seen picking up her small dog while screaming at the owner, Marshall, and Millions.
May Marshall and Millions both rest in eternal peace.🙏
