A police department in Southern California has received threats after a video of an officer fatally shooting a dog went viral after being posted to YouTube.
Hawthorne Police Department spokesman Lt. Scott Swain told The Los Angeles Times that all "credible" threats are being investigated and that security has been increased.
The video was posted following the confrontation on Sunday between police and 52-year-old Leon Rosby. Officials said that he stopped at the corner of 137th Street and Jefferson Avenue to shoot video of a police standoff and had his Rottweiler named Max with him.
Officials said that Rosby began taking photos while his dog was on a leash and was soon met by officers who said he was interfering with the scene before arresting him.
Swain said in a statement that the man was walking too close to officers with the dog and that the music coming from his car was a distraction.
Max was in the backseat of Rosby's car during the arrest, but soon jumped out the vehicle and approached the officers before lunging at them. One of the officers drew a gun and fired four times, killing the dog.
Residents watching the shooting can be heard screaming and moaning on the video, which had been viewed close to three million times as of Wednesday.
Community leaders have called for an investigation into the actions of the Hawthorne police officer.
"I'm not saying it's justified, but even when it's justified, there are some learning points," Swain told the newspaper. "Could we have done anything different? We'll look at all those facts."
The incident is currently under investigation.
Officer.com will provide more information on this story as it becomes available.
