Animal Rescue outraged after Longueuil police officer shoots wounded deer more than a dozen times

Animal Rescue in Longueuil is calling the actions of a Longueuil police (SPAL) officer "outrageous" after the officer was filmed shooting a deer multiple times while it was on the ground. SPAL communications spokesperson Francois Boucher said that on Feb. 19, a concerned citizen called the police about a wounded deer near Michel-Chartrand Park and that it was shot 13 times.

An animal rescue group in Longueuil is calling the actions of a Longueuil police (SPAL) officer "outrageous" after the officer was filmed shooting a deer multiple times while it was on the ground.

SPAL communications spokesperson Francois Boucher said that on Feb. 19, a concerned citizen called the police about a wounded deer in a residential area near Michel-Chartrand Park.

Police say the deer had two broken legs and with guidance from the Quebec Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks, the officer shot it 13 times in a half hour.

"We received the approval of a representative of the Ministry of Wildlife to shoot the animal," Boucher told Energie 94.3 FM. "There were shots fired into the neck and thorax of the animal at close range, as indicated by the procedures. It was found that the animal was still showing signs of life for some reason that remains unexplained."

Sauvetage Animal Rescue agent Steven Amorosa said the officer should not have been told to shoot the deer with his sidearm but rather contact a tactical intervention officer with a higher calibre weapon.

"If you take their sidearms, basically it's a 9 mm," said Amorosa. "It's not a big enough calibre to put an animal down unless you know exactly where to shoot."

Amorosa said he went on a call once where a deer was hit by a car, and officers were able to kill it with three shots, not more than a dozen.