A New York police officer has become the subject of an inquiry after fatally shooting a raccoon.
On January 22, at around 7:45am local time, a 911 call was made by members of the public reporting an alleged vicious animal on the loose in Rockaway Beach, New York City.
When New York police officials arrived at the scene, a showdown occurred.
Alas, in the fight of man vs. raccoon, the raccoon did not come out well, ending up fatally shot by a police officer.
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In an emailed statement shared with AP News, a police department spokesperson said officers were attempting to herd the raccoon to a safer area.
They allege the raccoon turned around and became 'aggressive', charging towards people and that's when the officer let off his gun.
Bodycam footage, reportedly from the incident, has since been shared online by the Daily News, alongside being posted on social media.
The footage's perspective shows a raccoon alongside two figures. From the angle of the camera, there doesn't appear to be anyone else nearby to the animal.
The camera captures the moment the gun goes off not just once, but three times, with the officer who's camera is recoding stating: "Three shots fired at the raccoon."
And it's not taken long for social media users to weigh in.
One Facebook user wrote: "This is absolutely horrifying and disturbing. If the raccoon was distressed, a rehabber should have been called and the raccoon could've been humanely euthanized at a vet. What this officer showed was inhumane and disturbing behavior with a lack of good judgement. Kudos to the officers who refused the sergeant's order. This needs to be handled seriously and investigated properly."
Another added: "This is extremely messed up. What’d that poor raccoon do to deserve that? It almost made me cry to be honest. Disgusting actions by this NYPD sergeant!"
However, a third defended the officers' actions, questioning why people are commenting on the video 'without knowing anything about the incident'.
They continued: "Perhaps because it’s an excuse to call the officer vile names and vent their unprocessed rage. And they call other people bigots.
"Days ago, someone reported a raccoon walking around in circles on the boardwalk during daylight hours. Raccoons exhibiting this behavior most likely have rabies or distemper, both diseases almost always fatal if these symptoms have appeared. The animal is a clear and present danger to human beings at that point.
"Last I heard, there was a trap out and Animal Control was called. Perhaps the raccoon threatened a human in some way and the officer took action."
The incident is reportedly being reviewed by the department's Force Investigation Division and the officer has been placed on modified duty.
UNILAD has contacted New York Police Department's Force Investigation Division for comment.
Topics: Animals, New York, Police, Animal Cruelty, Social Media
Poppy Bilderbeck