Iowa Police Officer Fatally Shoots Dog in Front of Family, Video

An Iowa police officer fatally shot a dog in front of the pet's owners and young children – but the question is whether the cop was justified to use deadly force.

The officer, identified by Our Quad City News as Ethan Bock, responded to a house in Davenport, IA, on the night of August 21 after receiving a report of 4 aggressive dogs trying to jump a fence to reach another pooch.

As Bock was investigating the call in an alley, he came upon one of the dogs dashing toward him from a yard outside the home.

Check out the footage ... The dog darts right at Bock, causing him to backpedal as he pulls his service weapon and fires two shots.

Clearly, the dog is struck by at least one bullet because you can hear the mutt shrieking in pain as it eventually dies.

The canine's family – including 2 kids – witnessed the entire incident and screamed in horror as the children started crying.

The Davenport PD issued a statement, saying it's investigating the shooting and would review all surveillance videos in the area and police body-worn camera recordings. The department also says it's committed to making sure it follows all its policies and procedures.

However, there was no mention of Bock in the press release, but he's obviously at the center of the case.

So, TMZ is taking a poll. Do you think Officer Bock was justified in shooting the dog or should he have taken a different approach?