Sheriff's deputy fired after he was seen on video shooting chihuahua in the face

Keenan Wallace was described as "relieved of his duties" after shooting a chihuahua on January 4.

The sheriff's deputy responded to a call that day about aggressive dogs. The dog was wounded in a yard belonging to Doug Canady.

Canady alleged that a woman was out for a walk and brandished a gun at the chihuahua. Canady went to the gas station and returned to find deputy Wallace in his yard.

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Upon entering his home, Canady decided to start filming. The deputy asked him to come out to the street to talk. Canady refused and continued filming.

The deputy said he had spoken to a woman near the home. He then said:

"OK, I'm going to come to you. If the dog is aggressive, I'm going to shoot."

Seconds later, a gunshot is heard. The video, which Canady uploaded to Facebook, showed as the dog "Reeses" writhed about in the yard.

The Faulkner County Sheriff's Office released a statement on Facebook regarding the incident. Sheriff Tim Ryals stated Wallace "fired his service weapon that injured an animal while in close proximity to a citizen."

He wrote:

"I believe there were numerous opportunities to de-escalate the incident. Over the last 24 hours, at my request, Faulkner County Investigators have been working diligently to investigate whether Deputy Wallace violated any state law or our agency’s policies and procedures."

Ryals also apologized for "distress and disappointment" caused by the incident. He said that Reeses, who survived the gunshot, would be in the office's "thoughts through the recovery process."

The gunshot left Reeses with a large face wound and neck injuries. He reportedly has bone fragments in the stomach which veterinarians will remove during jaw surgery.

On Facebook, many are calling for jail time for Wallace, who is also a K-9 handler. The department said that an investigation is being done.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page was set up to pay for Reeses' medical bills. So far, they have raised $18,840. The dog is said to be "not out of the woods" on the page.

An officer who shot a friendly dog years ago did receive legal repercussions five years ago. Following an investigation, Brian Thierbach was charged with one count of aggravated animal cruelty.

Theirbach shot a Labrador Retriever named Arzy while he made an arrest of two traveling performers in Sulphur, Louisiana.

Back in December 2018, an officer and his K-9 companion were the victims of a shooting after a routine traffic stop attempt. Sadly, the officer passed away.

His K-9 was left in critical condition and received care from a local veterinarian. Officers detained a suspect following the shooting. The DeKalb County was left distraught after the loss of their man.