A Michigan town has been left heartbroken and is demanding answers after a cop was caught on video killing a beloved deer known to the community as Annie.
The incident happened on October 20 outside the home of Pamela Babb in Lawrence, Van Buren County.
Many residents were appalled by the slaying of their beloved deer, with one saying: ‘There is no reason for her to be put down, she never hurt anybody.’
Graphic video shared on social media shows Annie wrestling with Officer David Loza who had slipped a lead around her neck.
The frantic deer continues to battle with Officer Loza, with a second video showing him shooting the animal dead.
The officer manages to pin Annie while she is laying upside down, before pulling out a handgun and firing a single shot, the deer jolts before going limp.
Annie, pictured here, had been rescued by Pamela Babb and her family after her mother died after being hit by a car
Graphic video shared on social media shows Annie wrestling officer David Loza who has slipped a lead around her neck
Officer Loza can be seen fighting with Annie before he managed to gain control of the animal and shot it in the head
Pamela Babb told WWMT that her family rescued the animal as a fawn after her mother was hit by a car.
She told the outlet: ‘They couldn’t help us take her because they didn’t have anymore room.’
Nevaeh Sylvester, Babb’s granddaughter, had been responsible for feeding the animal three times a day while growing up.
She told WWMT: ‘I felt like that was the more humane thing to do as opposed to leaving her with her dead mother.
‘When she got old enough she just kept coming back to the farm, she would play with you, the kids.’
According to Babb, officers had attended the property on an unrelated child support incident when police officer Loza spotted the animal.
Babb added: ‘He reached out and put his hand on her head and was able to touch her and he said she is domesticated and needs to be put down.’
Sylvester added: ‘Save her, I couldn’t, I just wanted to so bad, but there is nothing we could have done. I just wanted her to be safe and she wasn’t.
‘She was a piece of my family like a child or sibling, I was very close with her.’
Pamela Babb, pictured here, said that her family rescued the animal as a fawn after her mother was hit by a car
Nevaeh Sylvester, seen here, had been responsible for feeding the animal three times a day while growing up
In a statement, Chief of Pokagon Band Tribal Police Mario RedLegs said: ‘The Pokagon Band Tribal Police is currently conducting an investigation regarding a deer being euthanized at the property of a suspect from Lawrence, Michigan, who was taken into custody for a warrant on Friday, October 20.
‘The Pokagon Band Tribal Police were assisting Van Buren County Law enforcement and consulted with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
‘The officer involved has been placed on Administrative Leave. We appreciate your patience in this matter, and we will provide an update once the investigation is complete.’
Since the death of the deer on Friday, locals have since made a Facebook group titled ‘Justice for Annie’.
The Justice for Annie Facebook page has been inundated with comments from those demanding justice and leaving memories.
Since the death of the deer on Friday, locals have since made a Facebook group titled ‘Justice for Annie’
Since her death, the Justice for Annie Facebook page has been inundated with comments from those demanding justice and leaving memories
Officers had attended the property on an unrelated child support incident when police officer David Loza, pictured here, spotted the animal
One post said: ‘Rest easy sweet Annie. What the monsters you last interacted with did to you was cruel, inhumane, and heartless.
‘May you have gone to heaven with memories of the outpouring of love for you from the village of Lawrence and all who knew you.’
Another read: ‘Our sweet Annie. My heart is broken. Everyone in Lawrence township loves and misses you.’
While another said: ‘This is how I will always remember Annie. RIP sweet girl. So many people loved you. You made a difference in this world.’
In a post to the group, they have since said that Babb was charged with unlawfully domesticating a wild animal, and is waiting on a court date for her first appearance.
The sister of Officer Loza, Gretchen Loza, had also shared a post on her Facebook.
She said: ‘On behalf of our Family, we wanted to say thank you for the hundreds of calls and texts.
‘Many of you have asked what we need, so here it is… we need those that are brave enough to stand by & STAND UP for Dave.
‘Don’t judge a book on one paragraph, because in this case people are missing a lot of the story.’