K-9 removed from home of Vacaville police officer filmed punching it

The K-9 filmed being punched by its handler has been removed from the officer's home and "placed in the care of a third party," the Vacaville Police Department said.

Last week, Vacaville police launched an investigation one of their own after video surfaced on Facebook of an officer punching his K-9 partner during a training exercise.

A short clip posted on Facebook last Monday shows an officer with the dog pinned between his legs near a warehouse on Vaca Valley Parkway. At one point, he reaches back and strikes the dog. According to witness Robert Palomino, the officer punched the dog repeatedly before he caught the incident on camera.

"I heard a dog crying, when I looked, the officer was punching the dog over and over and got shocked about it," Palomino wrote. "... I’m sure he saw me, he stopped beating the dog when he saw me and went behind those trailers in the video."

The department said the dog has "been removed from the care of his handler" and was examined by a vet. According to police the dog showed "no sign of distress or injury."

The Vacaville Police Department is now investigating the incident, which it says occurred during training. They are not identifying the officer or dog involved.

"We understand how disturbing the video appears to many who view it and the range of emotions it creates. What the video doesn’t show is the moments prior, when the canine became aggressive towards his handler," the department said in a statement. "We want to assure the public this incident is being evaluated in its entirety and will be investigated appropriately."

A third party trainer will be brought in "during the evaluation process of the incident" and the dog will be in the care of a third party during the investigation.

The San Francisco SPCA issued a statement Friday condemning the video, calling it "animal abuse."

"The San Francisco SPCA, being a leader in dog behavior and training, would like the public to know that physically threatening or harming an animal is never acceptable, regardless of the animal's behavior," the organization said.