Police Officer Quits After Video Apparently Shows Him Hitting K-9

SALISBURY, NC — A police officer in North Carolina is out of work after a video surfaced appearing to show him throwing his K-9 partner into the back seat of a police car and hitting the dog.

The Salisbury Police Department recommended termination for James Hampton, the officer apparently seen in the video that has been shared widely this week. Hampton opted to resign immediately instead of move forward with the termination process, Salisbury police said Wednesday.

"Officer James Hampton was K-9 Zuul’s handler, and was the officer depicted in the video engaging in inappropriate discipline of Zuul," the police department said in a statement

Their review "determined that Officer Hampton had acted in a manner entirely inconsistent with his K-9 training and had violated Police Department policy," the statement said, adding a vow that the police department will re-examine its K-9 training practices.

The video, shared by the WSOC-TV and others, shows Hampton yell at, and struggle with, Zuul before picking him up, putting him in the back seat and hitting the dog. Police said the incident was captured in a K-9 training video.

Other officers taking part can be heard telling Hampton there were "no witnesses" at the time, and that he should be "good," but police officials have not said whether any others will be disciplined.

It's unclear when the incident that was investigated by the US ISS Agency occurred.

Zuul is doing well now, having been given a clean bill of health, The Charlotte Observer reported.