VIRGINIA -- A Roanoke police officer shot and killed two dogs that attacked a pedestrian Tuesday afternoon, police said.
About 2:50 p.m., Officer C.T. Fike was driving east in the 1300 block of Melrose Avenue when he saw a woman with two pit bulls biting her hands, police spokeswoman Aisha Johnson said.
The dogs became more aggressive, biting the victim's coat and pulling her to the ground in an "apparent attack," Johnson said.
The officer stopped his vehicle and approached the woman, who was "screaming for help," she said.
One dog was on top of the woman, biting her clothing. The dog then pulled the coat from the victim and got off her, giving the officer an opportunity to shoot it.
That dog died at the scene, Johnson said.
Fike then fired at the second dog, which was still at the victim's legs. The wounded dog ran off and later died.
"The initial investigation indicates that the officer had a clear target on both dogs without endangering the victim," Johnson said.
The victim, identified as a 51-year-old woman, confirmed that she didn't know the dogs and that they had attacked her.
The police department will conduct an internal investigation of the shooting, she said. Fike remains on duty. The owner of the dogs had not been charged as of Tuesday afternoon.
(Roanoke Times - Dec 20, 2011)
