An Oklahoma police officer has been charged with animal cruelty for allegedly tasing, pepper-spraying, hitting, and pulling a gun on neighbor's dog, authorities said.
An Oklahoma police officer has been charged with animal cruelty and relieved of duty after viral videos appeared to show him tasing a neighbor's dog eight times, dousing the animal with pepper spray, and pulling his gun on the pup, according to court records.
Broken Arrow Police Department Officer William Golden was arrested Friday and charged with one felony count of cruelty to animals and a misdemeanor charge of acts resulting in gross injury/outraging public decency for allegedly pulling his weapon and threatening to shoot the dog.
Golden is now free on $10,000 bail and has been placed on administrative leave, according to authorities.
Videos taken by Golden's neighbors went viral on social media after they appeared to show him following a 4-year-old English Bulldog identified as Rusty around his patrol car in his driveway.
Golden appears to shock the dog eight times, douse the animal with pepper spray, kick it in the head and wave his gun at the animal.
Wagoner County District Attorney Jack Thorp said he filed the charges Friday after viewing the video.
“I'm aware Mr. Golden is a police officer, but no person is above the law. It’s the state's position (that) we're going to go through in this case and we're going to ensure that justice is done here in Wagoner County,” Thorp said.
According to court records, Golden has not entered a plea. Inside Edition Digital has reached out to his attorney for comment.
His arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 1, according to court documents.
The Broken Arrow Police Department issued a statement Friday saying Golden is on administrative leave pending the criminal case.
"The allegations are serious, and we are committed to fully cooperating with the District Attorney’s Office," the department said.
The dog belongs to Golden's neighbors, who said their animal wandered away from their home and is not an aggressive dog.
"All I want is justice for my dog," owner Arianna Ruiz told KOKH-TV earlier this month. The woman said Rusty hasn't been the same since the encounter.
“He's usually walking around the house, and lately, he's just been sitting in his corner, Ruiz said.
In the videos, neighbors can be seen and heard trying to intervene as Golden appears to follow the dog around his cruiser. At one point the dog jumps into the car, and at another the pet appears to cower under the rear bumper as the officer squirts pepper spray at the dog's face.
"What he did was not OK," Ruiz told the station.
Golden has not publicly commented on the incident. His attorney told a local station earlier this month that the videos did not show the encounter's full context and “the force that was used was reasonable to use on an animal in a situation like (Golden) confronted.”
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