In Longview, Texas, a police officer
struck a mountain lion with his patrol car, killed the injured animal afterwards, and then smiled for a photo with its lifeless body. Even more shocking - afterwards, the police department proudly
posted this image on their official Facebook page.
Sign the petition to demand everyone involved in this fiasco be fired, and the department investigated for its culture of disrespect for animals' lives!Scientists have examined this animal's remains and determined that she was a 3 or 4-year-old female, who would have been quite important to the surrounding environment.
Mountain lions are apex predators that are absolutely essential to maintaining balance in Texas ecosystems, and their lives deserve dignity and respect. These animals are
already under threat due to habitat loss and human activity.
This incident should have been met with solemnity, not a smile and a social media post. Luckily, the public understood this immediately, and responded with widespread outrage over this insensitivity and callousness.
The officer's grinning pose with the animal's body, combined with the police chief's approval of the photo being shared publicly,
raises alarming questions about the culture within this department. If this is how they treat the creatures we share this Earth with, what does it say about their approach to empathy, respect, and accountability in their broader duties?
Sign the petition to demand the immediate firing of both this officer and the police chief who normalized and endorsed such cruelty. We also demand a full investigation into the Longview Police Department to determine how this could have happened!