A massive wave of anger and indignation is surging through a community in Queensland, Australia, after police officers used a firearm to shoot and kill a family pet on a suburban street, right before the stunned eyes of local residents and children.

The heartbreaking incident occurred at approximately 3:40 p.m. on Sunday on Mill Street, in the Mount Isa suburb of Pioneer, located in north-west Queensland. According to initial reports from authorities, a moving police patrol vehicle accidentally struck a domestic dog. A police spokesperson stated that the collision was entirely unintentional, as the animal is believed to have suddenly run out from under or behind a parked car, leaving neither the driver nor the passenger able to spot the animal prior to the impact.

However, the sequence of actions that unfolded following the collision has become the central trigger for public outrage. Within just three minutes of the accident, a supervising officer arrived on the scene to assess the situation. At that point, the officers made the decision to shoot and put the dog down, citing the justification of putting the animal out of its misery due to severe injuries sustained from the crash.

A video captured by a resident from down the street recorded the entire harrowing moment. In the footage, an officer can be seen standing over the injured dog, holding a handgun and firing straight down. Notably, the witness who filmed the incident stated that this was not the first shot, as police had already fired at the animal once before. Following the recorded gunshot, the poor animal could still be seen weakly wagging its tail as members of the community began to shout loudly in distress and anger.

“That was a pet, and you’ve just run over it – that was the little girl’s dog,” a woman behind the camera shouts furiously. Nearby, two young girls—identified as the owners of the dog—burst into tears and ran away from the scene, visibly traumatized by the sight of their pet being put down with a firearm.

In the face of heavy public criticism, a police spokesperson came forward to defend the officers’ actions. The department acknowledged that the incident was deeply traumatic for the officers involved, the community witnesses, and the dog’s owners. Nevertheless, the police firmly maintained that, at that specific moment, utilizing a firearm to end the animal’s life was considered the most humane and suitable course of action available.

The spokesperson further announced that they had reviewed the body-worn camera footage of the officers on the scene. The internal review confirmed that the officers had made the correct decision under the forced circumstances. To conclude, authorities stated that police representatives have directly spoken with the dog’s owners regarding the aftermath of the incident.