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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Salt Lake City police have launched an internal investigation into an officer's decision to shoot and kill a dog that was in its own backyard.
Police say the officer was searching for a missing 3-year-old boy on Wednesday and entered the fenced backyard of a home in the Sugar House neighborhood when no one answered the door.
The officer reported the 110-pound, 2-year-old Weimaraner called Geist acted in an aggressive manner, forcing him to draw his gun and fire.
The police department issued a statement Thursday saying it "regrets the unfortunate outcome of this incident."
The dog's owner, Sean Kendall, says he understands the concern for a missing child, but that didn't justify the use of lethal force on his animal.
The child was found safe at home about 30 minutes later.
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