The U.S. Marshals Service is protecting one of its agents after a video showing a deputy kicking a small dog during a federal operation in Memphis went viral on social media. According to reports, the agent was part of the Memphis Safe Task Force, a federal law enforcement initiative launched by the Trump administration last summer.
The agent was part of the Memphis SAFE Task Force, a federal law enforcement initiative. (Screen grab of video aired on X)The video, recorded by a resident of an apartment complex and later posted on social media, shows several federal agents conducting an operation alongside a K-9 unit. When a small dog ran toward the agents barking, a deputy marshal stepped forward and kicked the animal away.
The dog appears significantly smaller than a law enforcement K-9 and does not appear to physically impede the agents’ work, according to the footage.
The clip went viral on Friday, drawing widespread criticism online.
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Marshals Service ResponseIn a statement issued Friday, the US Marshals Service acknowledged the video and defended the agent’s actions.
“A woman at the apartment complex recorded the incident on her cell phone and posted the video on social media,” the agency said. “While the incident is unfortunate, the deputy marshal’s action was not done maliciously.”
The agency said the kicking was “a last-ditch, split-second action taken by a law enforcement officer to control the environment and defuse a dangerous situation,” adding that “an uncontrolled, aggressive animal may interfere with official duties and threaten safety.”
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Public responseThe explanation did not draw criticism from social media users, many of whom questioned how a small dog could pose a serious threat to federal agents armed with a trained K-9.
The US Marshals Service has not indicated whether the incident is under internal review or whether disciplinary action is being considered. Officials also did not release information about the dog’s condition after the collision.