HAWTHORNE, Calif. (CNN) – There’s controversy in Hawthorne, California where police shot and killed a man’s dog last weekend. It was all caught on camera and the video has gone viral.
The dog's owner and several witnesses said the officer could have simply Tased the dog or shot it only once. But Hawthorne Police said the officer acted in self-defense.
Several cellphone videos captured the encounter that led to the police officer shooting the two-year-old rottweiler named Max.
The rottweiler jumped out of Leon Rosby's rental car window as police arrested the man. On the video, you can see Rosby with Max. He is videotaping a police crime scene with his cellphone.
Rosby said he was trying to make sure police weren't violating anyone's civil rights. The 52-year-old man has filed six complaints against Hawthorne Police in the past and and even filed a lawsuit alleging officers broke his rib.
He said one of the police officers named in the suit spotted him at the scene. That's when Rosby said two officers walked towards him. He said he put Max in the car, but did not close the windows. Rosby said he turned around and let officers cuff him, but as they moved him -- Max jumped out of the car window.
No one at the Hawthorne Police Department would talk on camera about the incident, but in a written statement said quote "the dog lunged and made aggressive movements towards the officer. Fearing that the attacking rottweiler would imminently bite the officers, one officer fired his duty weapon several times, striking and killing the dog."
The police statement made no mention of Rosby's lawsuit. It did say he was arrested for obstruction of justice because he was playing loud music, walking a large dog and getting too close to officers.
The statement said all of that in its entirety distracted officers from their dangerous work.
