Broken Arrow Officer Charged With Animal Cruelty After Seen Pepper Spraying Dog

A Broken Arrow Police Officer is out on bond Friday for felony animal abuse.

His neighbors filmed the officer's run-in with a neighborhood dog last month.

The neighbor who posted a video on social media of the incident said since then, she feels like the officer has tried to intimidate her.

William Golden was arrested after Wagoner County District Attorney Jack Thorp filed two charges Friday: a felony Animal Cruelty charge and a misdemeanor reckless handling of a firearm.

Thorp said he made the decision after watching the neighbor's video.

Thorp said everyone should be held accountable regardless of their affiliation.

“I'm aware Mr. Golden is a police officer, but no person is above the law. It’s the state position we're gonna go through in this case and we're going to ensure that justice is done here in Wagoner County,” Thorp said.

Deanna Westbrook is the one who filmed the altercation and shared it on social media before taking it down when she received a cease-and-desist letter from Golden's attorney.

“I think it's just supposed to scare me to be quiet,” said Westbrook.

Westbrook said this started after a neighbor's dog got out of a fence and jumped in the officer's patrol car.

An affidavit describes the 4-year-old English Bulldog named Rusty as non-aggressive -- it said Golden admitted to tasing Rusty several times while the dog was in his car -- and video shows Golden pepper spraying the dog as well.

The affidavit also said Golden admitted to pulling a loaded weapon, threatening to shoot the dog, and pointing the gun at nearby homes.

It said Golden states he did not know why he pulled a gun, but at the time, he was angry and frustrated.

In a statement to the public, BAPD said they will withhold the results of its internal investigation into the incident while the criminal investigation is underway.

"The allegations are serious, and we are committed to fully cooperating with the District Attorney’s Office. The Office of Professional Standards’ internal investigation is ongoing, however, at the request of the District Attorney we are delaying the conclusion of our internal investigation pending the outcome of the criminal case. Officer Golden remains on administrative leave, in accordance with department policy and the collective bargaining agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police."

Rusty was taken to a veterinarian for treatment, and witnesses say he was not showing any signs of aggression towards Golden.

Story Timeline: Broken Arrow Police are investigating an officer after complaints about how he treated a loose dog in his neighborhood.

Broken Arrow Police are investigating an officer after complaints about how he treated a loose dog in his neighborhood.

Video of the incident has been shared more than hundreds of times and viewed by tens of thousands of people on Facebook and TikTok. In the video, Officer Golden is seen walking around his patrol car in his driveway, trying to get to a small dog that appears to be a bulldog.

A neighbor can be heard asking the officer to leave the dog alone. The officer is then seen pulling something off his belt and spraying the dog with what the neighbor said was pepper spray. News On 6 asked the neighbor what led up to this incident, but she didn't want to do an interview. We also reached out to the dog owner to see how the dog was doing but did not hear back.

The Broken Arrow Police Department said it is aware of the video and released this statement, saying the Office of Professional Standards is investigating what happened.

We don't know what happened before the officer sprayed the dog or why the animal was around his car. There are a lot of rumors surrounding this video, including claims the officer used his taser on the dog, but we have not been able to confirm that with either the police department or witnesses.

The neighbor who captured the video told News On 6 that she now has legal representation.