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Arizona animal control officer returns to work after dog-dragging incident

The Navajo County Attorney's Office does not intend to prosecute the officer.

WINSLOW, Ariz. — A Winslow animal control officer placed on administrative leave in May after they were seen dragging a dog across the street has returned to work.

The Winslow Police Department said Wednesday the officer returned to work in a "restricted capacity" on July 10 pending the outcome of an administrative investigation.

Police said the Navajo County Attorney's Office had declined to prosecute the officer for actions committed on May 4. 

On the day of the incident, a bystander had recorded the animal officer trying to capture a dog in a neighborhood near Winslow High School. In the video, the dog appears to be in distress, huffing and panting as the animal is being pulled across the pavement.

Police said the dog had bitten an officer during the incident and was eventually released to its owner.

The bystander's video was posted online, prompting outrage from the community and the police department opened an investigation. The investigation's findings were then turned over to prosecutors for review.

Police said it is conducting a "thorough review" of the agency's operations and will be assessing opportunities to improve training.

*Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast*

   

UP TO SPEED

What is the Valley?:

“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest. 

The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:

  • Mesa
  • Chandler
  • Scottsdale
  • Tempe
  • Glendale
  • Surprise
  • Peoria
  • Gilbert
  • El Mirage
  • Avondale
  • Litchfield Park
  • Goodyear
  • Buckeye

Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.

The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.

How big is Maricopa County?

Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.

The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).

One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.

The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.

The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.

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