The JUPOL union has shown its support for the agents of the National Police agents who had to act in self-defence during an arrest in Tenerife on Wednesday, against three potentially dangerous breeds of dogs that attacked them.
The union has reported that one of the officers was injured when one of the dogs bit him, which led to his colleague firing his gun at the animal to guarantee the safety of the injured officer.
JUPOL says that they have been able to verify, via different videos that have been posted on social media, that the officers’ actions "do strictly comply with current legislation and existing police protocols in the National Police."
The union went on to say that, "after the officers’ actions, there has been an indiscriminate attack against the police on social media; attacks against which, once again, neither the General Directorate of Police nor the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, have defended, once again leaving the agents on their own without institutional support."
JUPOL also claims that incidents like this, and other similar ones, could be avoided if the Government, the Ministry of the Interior, and the DGP had not left them in "a situation of helplessness, abandonment and vulnerability", particularly if they had adopted the three demands of the union, which were:
- arming officers with Taser pistols.
- updating the National Shooting Plan.
- and the implementation of a psychological and legal follow-up service offering assistance to officers involved in this type of incident.
The dogs shot by the National Police are alive and at a vets.
The National Police has confirmed that the dogs shot during the police operation are alive and being looked after by a vet in San Isidro.
The shooting took place within the framework of an anti-drug operation that is under summary secrecy in court no. 4 of Granadilla de Abona, in which six properties were searched, and eight people were arrested, including the owners of the dogs.
The dogs were treated by vet, Antonio Lima, for non-life-threatening injuries which they will both fully recover from. The police maintain that officers did not shoot to kill the dogs, but to prevent them from attacking them.
