The Met said police “have a duty to act where necessary before any further injury is caused”
By Liz Jackson & PA Media
BBC News
The Metropolitan Police has defended its handling of an incident in which two dogs were shot dead and a man was Tasered.
The force said it was called just after 17:00 BST on Sunday to reports of a woman being attacked by a dog in Commercial Road, Poplar, east London.
Footage on social media showed a man holding two dogs on nearby Limehouse Cut before he was Tasered and the dogs shot.
The Met said a man has been arrested.
One video showed a group of officers holding a catcher pole, riot shield and gun approaching the man and the dogs as he appears to walk away from them.
The police can be heard trying to persuade the man to surrender the dogs. The situation appears to become increasingly heated before the two dogs were shot.
Warning: This video contains images that some people may find upsetting.
Officers talk with a man holding two dogs before he is Tasered
In a statement, a Met spokesperson said: “Officers attended the location where the aggressive behaviour of two dogs was of considerable concern and posed a significant threat to them.
“A man was arrested in connection with the incident for having a dog dangerously out of control and assault offences. He has been taken into police custody.”
The statement added a Taser was discharged during the incident and both dogs “were destroyed by police at the scene” but no-one was taken to hospital.
“This is never an easy decision for any officer to take, but police have a duty to act where necessary before any further injury is caused,” the statement continued.
The Met’s directorate of professional standards will review the circumstances of the incident, the force added.
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