Officer placed on modified duty after fatally shooting raccoon at a NYC beach

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York police officer who fatally shot a raccoon at a New York City beach has been placed on modified duty while the matter is reviewed, according to officials.

The shooting occurred Thursday morning at Rockaway Beach, after someone called 911 to report a vicious animal, a police department spokesperson said in an emailed statement Monday.

Police said officers were trying to usher the raccoon to a safe location when the animal suddenly charged toward a group of people in “an aggressive manner” and the officer fired his weapon.

Bodycam footage published by the Daily News shows no group of people in sight when the animal walks out slowly onto the sand next to the beach’s boardwalk and is shot by an officer. The animal then limps along and the officer shoots twice more.

The officer’s name has not been released. The department’s Force Investigation Division, which reviews incidents when an officer discharges their weapon, is leading the department’s probe.

It wasn’t clear Monday if officials planned to test the raccoon for rabies.