A North Carolina cop who was seen in a viral video last month lifting a dog by its leash and slamming the animal into a police vehicle has resigned, the Salisbury Police Department said.
Officer James Hampton offered his resignation after the department recommended he be terminated for his actions against K-9, Zuul.
“Officer Hampton tendered his resignation, effective immediately,” the Salisbury PD said in a statement. “The Police Department’s review determined that Officer Hampton had acted in a manner entirely inconsistent with his K-9 training and had violated Police Department policy.”
The video shows Hampton leaving the police SUV and the dog tried to follow. He yelled at him and Zuul appeared to lie down. He then clipped the dog’s leash onto its collar and swing the dog over his shoulder before he slammed the animal into the car while pointing out that there were no witnesses.
The Salisbury Police Department said in a statement at the time that Hampton has been separated from the dog and an outside agency is investigating the incident.
Hampton cooperated with the investigation, but resigned before he was fired.