A TikTok user is demanding justice after her pet dog was shot by an Escambia County Sheriff's deputy while pursuing a suspect.
Mikaylah Coleman, a Pensacola resident, shared the heart-breaking video footage of the aftermath of the shooting on TikTok over the weekend. The video has since gone viral with more than 2 million views on the platform.
"The Police shot my dog in the head with no warning and Zander was not being aggressive or anything," she captioned the clip. In the video, Coleman can be heard confronting Escambia County Sheriff's deputies as a neighbor tends to her wounded Beagle named Zander.
Sheriff's Office Claims Zander 'Charged' at the Deputy
In follow-up videos on the incident, Coleman said the deputies were chasing a suspect in her neighborhood when Zander, excited by the commotion, broke free from his leash and left her yard.
Moments later, a deputy came running past her house and Zander ran towards the deputy in an attempt to play with him because that's how the family often plays with him. However, the deputy shot the dog in the head. In a statement to the Daily Dot, the Escambia County Sheriff's Office said that the dog had "charged" at the deputy.
"Escambia County Sheriff's Office deputies were in a foot pursuit with a suspect with felony warrants, when a dog who was loose in the neighborhood charged at one of our deputy's," the sheriff's office said.
Zander Had to be Put Down
Coleman rejected the claim, noting that Zander sat down in front of the officer before he was shot. The deputy, according to Coleman, also suggested shooting the dog a second time to put it out of its "misery." The dog was taken to the vet shortly after. In an update on the situation, Coleman said she had no choice but to put Xander to sleep.
Coleman has since launched a GoFundMe page in order to raise $3,000 to pay for for legal expenses as well as a cremation for her beloved pet."I want justice for Zander," she wrote in the fundraiser's description. "[H]e was being friendly not aggressive at any point even after he got shot."
