A chaotic scene erupted Thursday evening in Jamestown when dozens of bystanders, including children, watched as Sault Police used a conductive energy weapon against a dog.
At approximately 3:30 p.m., police were dispatched to an apartment building at the corner of Albert Street and James Street to investigate a report of a firearm in the area.
At least a dozen police vehicles arrived on scene, including the department’s Ballistic Armoured Tactical Transport, better known as the BATT. Patrol officers were joined by officers from the Emergency Services and K9 units, taking up positions inside and outside the building.
Although police issued a news release asking the public to avoid the area, dozens of people — including young children — were watching the hours-long police action from the lawn across the street.
Eventually, officers began removing people from the scene one by one, handcuffing them and then placing them into different vehicles.
After at least three people were detained, a woman on the scene was given permission to approach the side of the building to call a dog that was there.
A witness said the dog’s name was Bubba.
Bubba was initially calm, but then barked and growled as it bolted toward a police canine who was with its human handler nearby.
Members of the crowd audibly gasped as Bubba was hit twice with a conductive energy weapon, better known as a Taser. There was initially some confusion as some people in the crowd asked if the officers had shot Bubba or tased him.
The woman who had been allowed near the scene to call to Bubba was immediately irate after watching the dog get shot with the conductive energy weapon. “You shot my dog,” she screamed. "You shot my dog.”
After initially falling to the ground and yelping in pain, Bubba ran off from the area. While that happened, the woman continued to struggle with police and was screaming expletives until she was eventually placed into handcuffs and put in a nearby police cruiser.
After the dog was hit, some adult bystanders urged the children in the crowd to return home.
In a news release issued at 8:35 p.m., Sault Police said three people were detained and one remains in custody. No names or specific charges have been released.
"When attempting to clear the multi-unit residence, officers had to subdue an aggressive dog with a conducted energy weapon (CEW) to ensure officer safety," the news release states. "The dog ran away from the area. The local humane society was contacted and assisting with attempts to locate the dog."
The incident remains under investigation and "there are no immediate concerns for public safety," police say.
Residents living on the second floor and above were allowed to re-enter their units by about 7:45 p.m., more than four hours after the call to 911 was placed.
This was the second major police incident on Thursday. Earlier in the day, officers made an arrest after a two-hour standoff on Sussex Road.