The Metropolitan Police shot dead two dogs and tasered a man after being informed of a dog attack incident. According to the BBC, the incident took place at 5pm (local time) on Sunday. The police said they received a call of a woman being attacked by a dog in Commercial Road, Poplar, in east London. A clip of the incident is circulating on social media that shows the man holding the two dogs in the area before he was tasered and the dogs shot.
The distressing video shows policemen with animal catcher pole, riot shield and gun approaching the man with two dogs and he tries to get away.
The policemen are also seen talking to the man, apparently persuading him to surrender. After some time, the situation becomes heated and the dogs leap towards the policemen but are immediately shot.
The Met Police said the man was later arrested and charged over the dog attack.
"Officers attended the location where the aggressive behaviour of two dogs was of considerable concern and posed a significant threat to them," a Met Police spokesperson was quoted as saying by the BBC.
"A man was arrested in connection with the incident for having a dog dangerously out of control and assault offences. He has been taken into police custody," the spokesperson further said.
The police also defended their action with the spokesperson saying such decision are "never easy to make" but "police have a duty to act where necessary".
The police said "both the dogs were destroyed" at the scene.
Metro identified the man as Louie Turnbull, who appeared at Thames Magistrates' Court on Tuesday after being charged with being the owner of a dog that was dangerously out of control and being in possession of a dog while disqualified from owning or keeping a dog.
The video sparked a lot of debate on social media, with users calling the police action inhumane.
"I don't think the dogs looked aggressive, they were both wiggling their tails," a woman who lives in the area told the BBC.
"I was quite distressed, I was screaming at them, I was trying to stop it somehow but I couldn't," said her partner.
