IRONDEQUOIT, N.Y. — We now know why police officers in Irondequoit shot and killed a dog on Strathmore Circle Friday morning, and our photojournalist was at the scene when it happened.

When our photojournalist got there around 11 a.m. the dog was inside a parked car. The dog was taken from the car into an Irondequoit Animal Control van parked across the street. When the dog appeared to get loose, an officer pulled the gun out and shot at it seven times.

You can see everything go down in our camera footage below. Warning: some may find this video disturbing.

Irondequoit Police tell us the dog, that belonged to a neighbor, bit a 1-year-old girl on the leg, and the child was brought to Strong Memorial Hospital.

Animal control was called to the scene, and the dog was getting moved from a car to the animal control van. That’s when police say the dog slipped off its collar, bit the animal control officer, and police shot it.

“When the dog is showing aggression and we feel that people might get hurt the officers going to protect the people and felt the need that the dog needed to be put down for safety,” explained Captain Andrew Whitaker with the Irondequoit Police Department.

Officers say the 1-year-old will be okay. The animal control officer was also taken to the hospital, treated, and released.

The dog’s remains are being tested for rabies — as it was not vaccinated or licensed.

Full press release from the Irondequoit Police Department: