That looks like a pitbull. If it is, I can’t blame the deputy.
Looks more like a boxer to me. Watch the video at the link for a better picture.
But if you still can't blame that deputy, then blame this one for pepper spraying and then gunning down a ferocious Jack Russel Terrier two weeks ago (while he was trespassing):
http://www.heraldsun.com/bookmark/16799366/
Interestingly enough, same part of North Carolina as the thread article, but different Sherrif's dept. Makes one wonder if it is some kind of union policy.
The occasional cat (Felis catus Viking) can be trained to attack and when it does, it can do more than simply bite, but it can claw, leap up clothing and attach itself to faces. Cats have even killed dogs larger than they are; instinct tells them where the jugular vein is. Dogs may be scary but a cat like that would inspire terror — and what is jackboot going to do, shoot or pepper spray himself in the face?