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Details Emerge on Police Shooting of Cisco, the Pet Dog

Blue heeler Cisco, dead after being shot by an officer with the Austin Police Department.
Photo courtesy facebook.com/JusticeForCisco
Blue heeler Cisco, dead after being shot by an officer with the Austin Police Department.

The Austin Police Department released more details on the controversial shooing of a pet dog named Cisco that has taken the web by storm.

At a press conference this afternoon, APD released dashboard video of Officer Thomas Griffin shooting the dog on Saturday. It has not yet been determined whether any disciplinary action will be taken against Griffin.  Officials say he is distraught over the shooting.

APD spokesman David Daniels says Officer Griffin responded to a call describing a conflict between a male and female who were intoxicated.  However, the address given by the 911 caller was incorrect. While searching for the couple, Griffin came upon a man and told him to put his hands up. Officials say the dog charged at that moment. Griffin, whose gun was un-holstered, fired one shot, killing the animal.

Daniels says there is no specific protocol for responding to a situation where a dog is present and further investigation may be required.

News of the shootinginitially spread via Facebook. A page by the ownerof the dog,  Michael Paxton, rapidly went viral, amassing nearly 20,000 "likes" as of this writing. The incident has also received national media attention, with ABC News and the New York Daily News reporting on the shooting of Paxton's pet blue heeler Cisco today. 

Here's video of the incident released by the APD:

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