A North Carolina police officer who was seen in a viral video body-slamming his police dog into a car has resigned from the department.
Officer James Hampton offered his resignation after the Salisbury Police Department recommended he be terminated for his actions against K-9 Zuul, a press release from the department said.
“Officer Hampton tendered his resignation, effective immediately,” the statement says. “The Police Department’s review determined that Officer Hampton had acted in a manner entirely inconsistent with his K-9 training and had violated Police Department policy.”
The officer is seen in the video tossing the dog over his shoulder, slamming him against the side of the car, throwing him into the back seat and hitting him.
Other officers at the scene are heard in the video commenting that there were no witnesses and asking if there was a camera.
The statement does not mention any other officers being in trouble for the incident.
Hampton went through with a hearing, where he had the opportunity to defend his actions but decided to resign before he could be formally terminated.
“While we understand the calls for the officer’s immediate termination, city employees are afforded due process which ensures fairness for everyone involved and which can take time,” the department stated.
“The Salisbury Police Department will continue to review and make the necessary changes to our K-9 training operations, policies and procedures that align with industry best practices,” it added.