On Monday afternoon, the NYPD shot a dog that was trying to protect his unconscious owner, who, according to reports, had just suffered a seizure. As Gothamist reports:

Johnny Rodriguez, who was visiting the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary nearby, said he and three other people alerted nearby police officers that the owner of the dog was in danger of being hit by traffic. "He was having a seizure, I saw him lying down on the ground and his head was twitching and shaking." The two officers who responded called for backup ("I guess they didn't have the training or something") and the dog began growling as officers approached the man.

"I told one of the cops, 'Hey, that dog is growling, be careful,' because they were getting pretty close," Rodriguez says. "I used to have a pit bull and that's just how they are, they protect their owners." Rodriguez thought that one woman had placed herself too closely behind the man as she was observing what was happening. "It grabbed her pants, but it didn't bite her, then the dog starts running at the cop."

A police officer then shot the dog point blank. For the next few minutes, the dog lies there, writhing and bleeding, while a crowd gathers. It's an absolutely brutal scene.

The dog is apparently still alive, and authorities are trying to locate his owner.