Police shot the XL Bully, named Ghost, after it went on the rampage in Hillsborough, Sheffield – Sophie Zaherali, 31, pleaded guilty to being the owner of a dog that was dangerously out of control
Nail-biting new footage shows the moment a police marksman shot a rampaging XL Bully three times with a shotgun. In the clip, the police officer – known as A35 – is seen taking aim and firing three rounds at the dog, called Ghost. The footage ends before the officer drew a pistol and delivered the fatal shot.
Ghost – who was three years old and weighed nine stone – was shot on December 7 last year after police were received two 999 calls about a dangerous dog on the loose. Police raced to the scene in Hillsborough, Sheffield on December 7 last year after recieving reports the dog bit a woman, and had become aggressive towards a second woman.
The XL Bully ran towards officers as they left the vehicle, with “no owner in sight”, and shots were fired “to end and mitigate the risk it posed to the public”, police said. Sheffield Magistrates’ court heard this week that the officers were acting on orders that the dog had attacked people before shooting.
After the dog’s death, owner Sophie Zaherali, 31, shared images online in an attempt to identify the firearms officer involved, leading her to be further charged with a malicious communications offence.
On October 13, District Judge Tim Spruce found Sophie, from the Wisewood area of Sheffield, guilty after a three hour trial of being the owner of a dog that was dangerously out of control.
Mrs Zaherali, 30, also pleaded guilty to malicious communications against the police officer who had shot her dog dead. Other charges of allow a fighting dog to be in a public place without a muzzle or lead and public communication offence against a further officer were dismissed.
South Yorkshire Police’s Firearms Inspector Steve Usher said: “Dogs are the responsibility of their owners, and they are the ones who will be held responsible for their animal’s actions. Sadly, in South Yorkshire, our officers have witnessed and attempted to save the lives of people mauled by their own animals. Everyone’s safety will always be our priority.”
A statement from the force added: “The decision to shoot a dog is one never taken lightly by our officers. They are highly trained and carry out risk assessments, and observations of the tactics available to them and the situation they are in.
“Our aim will always be to safely contain any animal, but the safety of the community and officers is always our priority.”
Zaherali will appear before the same court on December 16 for sentencing.
