Police release video explaining why dog was tasered and put in bin

• Footage from West Midlands Police

Police have released a video attempting to explain why a dog was tasered and put in a wheelie bin by officers in Coventry.

It happened on Tuesday (11 July) in Milverton Road and West Midlands Police says it has released the bodycam footage following lots of social media speculation.

West Midlands Police say the dog was attacking another dog and it attempted to attack a member of the public, who managed to defend themselves with an umbrella.

There appears to be a number of young people present at the scene and police say the dog was 'out of control' and posed a 'clear danger' to the public, the officers and the other dogs.

A panicked officer can be heard saying "This dog is going to be dead very shortly, it's tearing it apart!"

To prevent the dog from causing more serious harm, a taser was deployed on the animal and it was then contained in a large wheelie bin - which officers say was the largest container they could find at the time.

Specialists from the WMP Dangerous Dogs Unit seized the animal before it was assessed to be fit and healthy by a vet and then secured in kennels. Police say the owner is aware of the actions taken.

A man was arrested on suspicion of obstructing police and was interviewed on Wednesday (July 12) and West Midlands Police has launched a full investigation.

Chief Inspector Daryl Lyon, of Coventry Police, said: “We are releasing some footage to explain the context in relation to a video that has been circulating on social media of police in the city tasering a dog. It was a dynamic incident where officers were concerned for the safety of an animal that was being attacked by another dog and as you can see from the video there are also children in the location, other members of the public and other police officers of which the animal posed a risk to.

“Public safety is of course our primary concern and this video explains the actions of the officers and the very difficult circumstances they were placed in. No officer wants to use force against an animal unless it is absolutely necessary and in this instance, we have had to do that to ensure that people at the scene were safe and that no further harm could come to anybody, including the animal itself.

“Despite speculation, the animal that was tasered by the police officers at the scene is safe and well and is being looked after in kennels.”

The Police say the investigation is ongoing and officers want to speak to a dog owner whose pet is believed to have been involved.

Anyone who was in the area at the time is being urged to come forward and speak to police.