An officer with the Mountain City Police Department in TN, was fired after he used excessive force in an attempt to subdue a dangerous suspect that was lurking within the Dollar General store.

WJHL reports that Jody Putnam, now a former Mountain City Police Officer, was on duty when Dollar General needed help with a squirrel in their building.

According to police department records, Putnam fired his gun inside the store.

"Shooting back there, of course that should not have been, that should not have happened," said property owner Carl Duffield.

But that didn't work, so he tried another weapon.

Duffield said, "then they began to spray it with mace and pepper spray."

And the mace affected more than just the squirrel.

"There was a lot of people that come out and just like me they came out and they were coughing and a hacking it was comical," said Duffield, "but I'm sure they didn't feel that way, the customers that came out."

According to the policy and procedures for the department, whenever an officer fires his gun he must immediately report it to a supervisor, then make a written statement.

Putnam refused to make a report and was subsequently fired on October 2nd.

Nuts!