Metropolitan Police shot down two dogs and tased their owner after a heated confrontation in Limehouse East London on May 7, 2023.
Netizens cried foul at Met Police’s way of handling the case as they witnessed the use of lethal force to apprehend their suspected dog owner.
In the now recently deleted Facebook post, the video shows heavily armed police units tailing a man and his dog, which resulted in a confrontation between both sides.
The confrontation concludes with Met Police's tasing their suspect and firing rounds on the suspect's two dogs, resulting in their immediate deaths.
Officers from Met Police had received beforehand a report of a dog attack incident from a woman that led to this brutal confrontation.
In Met Police's official statement, they said, “Officers attended the location where the aggressive behavior 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 offenses. He has been taken into police custody.”
“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 statement continued.
Louie Turnbull, the man in question, appeared in Thames Magistrates' Court on May 8, 2023, to deny Met Police's accusation that the dogs were “dangerously out of control.”
He later appeared in the candlelit vigil activity in Scotland Yard on the 11th of May, where he said, “They pulled out all their weapons. They were intimidating me and the dogs. And all they were doing was trying to protect me.”
Louie Turnbull added: “I had them on the lead, I was pulling them away, and they just murdered them. I can't sleep.”
The candlelit vigil in Scotland Yard was attended by 200 members of various animal rights activist groups, including Animal Rising.
Animal Rising also expressed their support and condolences to Turnbull following the deaths of his dogs, Marshall and Millions.
They tweeted, “We are here to remember the two beautiful dogs Marshall and Millions who were killed by the Met Police earlier this week, to remember all the human and non-human lives that are taken every day at the hands of the state and the police, and to hold the Met Police accountable for their actions.”
Marshall and Millions deserved better. Our communities deserve better. Do better, @metpoliceuk @10DowningStreet
Get involved with Animal Rising – come to a nonviolence training. Link in bio#AnimalRising #AnimalLiberation #MarshallAndMillions pic.twitter.com/3AGHUdRAtd
— Animal Rising (@AnimalRising) May 11, 2023
The Independent Office for Police Conduct will also conduct its own independent investigation after treating the incident as a “public concern.”
IOPC's Regional Director, Amanda Rowe says, “We will examine whether the actions of the officers involved were reasonable and proportionate in all of the circumstances and in line with relevant policy and procedure.”
