SALT LAKE CITY – A rally was held in Salt Lake City Saturday, and those who attended demanded justice for a dog that was shot and killed by a Salt Lake City police officer.
The Justice for Geist rally was held at the State Capitol, and the event is the latest in a movement that began when a police officer shot and killed a dog on June 18.
Officer Brett Olsen was searching for a missing child when he entered the dog owner’s backyard, and he said he shot the animal because it was charging at him and he felt threatened. A video of the dog’s owner, Sean Kendall, confronting police outside his home went viral, click here the footage.
Kendall claims Salt Lake City Police Department chief Chris Burbank is calling their movement “violent” and he alleges that police are trying to cover up what really happened.
"To me, this reeks of a cover-up,” Kendall said. “Officer Olsen had no right to go in my backyard. He had no right to shoot my dog in the head. And Chief Burbank is protecting him."
FOX 13 News reached out to the Salt Lake City Police Department for comment several times on Saturday but has not yet received a response.
Participants at the rally said they want justice for the dog and they want police to start wearing devices that record audio and video while they are on duty. They also said they want authorities to recognize that pets are an extension of people’s families.
