The video went viral after it was shared on Facebook

The sheriff's office said the traffic interruption was a 'hazard'

A US police

officer fatally shot a groundhog after it crossed a road in Maryland last

Sunday.

'Caught on

video'

The

incident was filmed by Facebook user Justyna Olkowska, and posted on social

media.

The video

has since been shared nearly 2000 times, and reposted by CBS News.

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'Standoff'

The footage shows a groundhog in front of backed

up traffic in what has been described as a 'standoff' with a policeman.

After the officer approached the groundhog a

number of times, the groundhog ran toward him.

The officer drew his gun and shot the animal

once and - after watching it writhe around in pain - shot it a second time.

One veterinarian said she would have handled the situation differently

'Distraught'

Olkowska expressed

shock at what had happened, noting that she was left feeling 'distraught' after

the event.

She added: "If you're not an animal lover, you

won't understand my pain."

'Hazard'

Statements from the sheriff's office indicate

that the officer thought the groundhog was behaving strangely, and that it was 'creating

a hazard' by interrupting traffic.

It also said that 'believing the groundhog to

be either sick or injured, the deputy then put the animal down for the public's

safety' - but made no mention of whether animal aid or animal control organizations were informed prior to the groundhog's death.

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A trained veterinarian told news outlet KARE 11, that were a groundhog running toward her she would simply 'get out of its way'.