The debate over whether the shooting was justified is dominating the Regina Police Facebook page, Dani Mario reports

The Regina Police Service has temporarily shut down its main Facebook page after a series of abusive, hateful comments were posted on it.

"We support your right to express opinions, even dissenting ones. We require that to be done without profanity, hate speech, or posts inciting violence. In the future please ensure your comments, opinions, and concerns are expressed in a manner safe for all users," police service officials posted before removing the site.

The majority of the profane comments popped up in the wake of a weekend dog-shooting incident, CBC News reports. There were even threats directed at the officers involved.

On Saturday evening, a Regina police officer shot a dog.

According to the Regina Police Service, the officer, accompanied by a canine unit, was trying to locate suspects of an assault when his search led him to a backyard of a residence.

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In that backyard was a pit bull. The pit bull attacked the canine unit's dog. When the police dog's handler tried to intervene, the pit bull attacked that officer.

"In the backyard, they encountered a pit bull at that residence," Staff Sergeant and Regina Police Association president Evan Bray told the Regina Leader-Post in a voicemail message. "The pit bull and the canine dog started fighting. The canine police officer attempted to intervene (and), in doing so, was taken to the ground by the pit bull."

"The other officer also tried to intervene to stop the fight and ultimately prevent any injury to the officer and the dog and, being unable to do so, was forced to draw his firearm and fire a single shot at the dog. The dog died as a result of the gunshot injury."

The owner of the pit bull, however, is disputing the police service's version of the story.

Peter Cote says his 7-year-old dog named Ben, who was great with kids and "wasn't vicious," was chained up in the backyard which was marked with "beware of dog" signs.

"It was clearly posted in every corner of my yard, was posted wherever someone could jump a fence or something: 'Beware of dog' signs," he said. "And he can't even reach the fence on (his chain) anywhere."

Cote says a friend saw the incident: the canine officer fell back while trying to restrain the police dog, causing the other officer to "panic" and shoot the pit bull.

Cote was pulling his vehicle into the garage when he heard the gunshot.

"It's not right what happened," he told the Regina Leader-Post. "They weren't justified at all for what they did ... Within five seconds, they shot him. I was 20 feet away at the garage, inside the garage."

"All I know is what they done is wrong and I can't let it rest," Cote told CBC News. "Someone don't have the right to come in your yard and murder a family member."

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As news of the dog-shooting story spread, so did the anger.

Soon, hundreds of hateful, threatening comments were being posted on the police service's Facebook page — enough to force officials to temporarily pull the page altogether.

"We're not saying that the public can't comment, question, criticize and critique, but there was a comment posted on there on this weekend that said, 'the only good cop is a dead cop,'" Bray told the Canadian Press.

"My question is, does that serve any purpose? Is that open and honest and good feedback from the community or is that someone wanting to grandstand and make something that is borderline criminal? There was a post on there this weekend saying maybe we should chain a police officer up in the backyard and shoot them and see how they like it. I mean really, does anyone believe that is fair game on a police service Facebook page?"

Bray said the service is now considering moderating all comments, and limiting the number of times a day a person can post on the page.

"I believe it's the minority out there that makes these comments," Bray said. "They can make these comments on their own forum and with their own free speech. I just don't believe the police should over the platform for them to do it."

An investigation into the shooting is still underway.