Arlington police officer shoots dumpster diver’s dog, cops say
An Arlington police officer shot and injured a dog during a confrontation with its owner early Tuesday, officials said in a statement.
Police responded to a commercial alarm at a business in the 1000 block of Enterprise Place about 12:45 a.m., a department spokesperson said. On arrival, officers saw a van parked next to a dumpster outside the business.
Officers approached the van, and a man in the passenger seat told them that he and his friend were searching the dumpster for scrap metal, police said.
Officers then went around the back of the dumpster and began to speak with the man’s friend, who was inside the dumpster at the time, according to the statement.
A loose dog then appeared from around the corner of the dumpster and began barking and running at the officers, Arlington police said.
An officer then fired multiple shots at the dog, according to the statement. Police later learned the dog belonged to the man inside the dumpster.
Neither the officers nor the people in the van were injured, police said. The dog was shot and was taken to an emergency veterinarian for treatment.
The Arlington Police Department’s Internal Affairs Unit will conduct an investigation to determine whether the use of force was appropriate, according to the statement.
No charges have been filed in connection with the incident.
