Video taken from a SWAT officer’s body camera shows the suspect pointing a gun at the dog’s head and being shot dead at close range.
The incident happened in August, but the video extracted from the officer’s body camera has only just been released by the Tucson Police Department, according to Business Insider.
Suspect Francisco Javier Galarza, 49, was targeted by SWAT agents on suspicion of home invasion and bank robbery, police said.
SWAT agents approached Galarza at a convenience store and ordered him to lie down for arrest. However, Galarza ran away, holding a gun.
“Police here, get down,” the officer warns Galarza multiple times in the video as the suspect runs away.
SWAT officers used a K-9 dog to give chase. The dog tackled the suspect after Galarza had only taken a few steps.
According to the Arizona Daily Star, Officer Barrie Pedersen, a 17-year veteran, ordered the dog named Kiro to tackle the suspect.
As soon as Galarza fell, he pointed a gun at the dog’s head. The officer, armed with a rifle, ran up and opened fire at close range, killing the suspect.
Tucson police said officers Pederson and Ernest Ortiz, a 15-year veteran, opened fire because the armed suspect had made threatening gestures and actions toward police.
When rescuers arrived at the scene, Galarza was dead, police said. “This incident involved an officer-involved shooting,” the Tucson Police Department said in a statement.
The police department said it was not investigating the officers who performed their duties and that the authority would be handed over to the Pima County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona. Investigators will assess whether the officers used force appropriately.
“The investigation is ongoing and that’s all we can say for now,” the Tucson Police Department said, according to Business Insider.
Galarza has a long criminal history. In 1992, he was sentenced to three years in prison. Two years later, he was sentenced to four years in prison for drug possession.
In 2000, Galarza was convicted of armed robbery and sentenced to 11 years in prison. After his release, Galarza was involved in another armed robbery and served 7.5 years in prison.
