Policeman shoots and kills pit bull after attack

LOUISIANA -- A town of Washington police officer shot and killed a pit bull Friday afternoon after the dog apparently attacked a police dog.

Washington Lt. Travis Guillot said he was trying to detain Larry Garrett, 512 E. Garden St., for disturbing the peace and resisting arrest around 2 p.m., when Garrett fled and released the pit bull.

Garrett began shouting at Guillot and another officer, Robert Maw, after he spotted them giving a warning to a group of people in the street. Guillot said the alleged aggression was unprovoked.

Garrett allegedly resisted when Maw tried to arrest him, so Maw used pepper spray and Garrett ran to his home, Guillot said.

Maw and Guillot followed him with their police dog.

"I brought the K-9, had him lay down and he's giving alert barks. I'm trying to use him as a deterrent. Then, the wife came out and began striking the officer in the head," because she was upset about her husband being pepper-sprayed, Guillot said. "The male subject fled back toward the back of the house.

And then I heard loud barking and a draft of something running from my pants legs. It was the pit bull who ran and attacked our K-9 unit, Samson. and tried to bite him all over."

The pit bull began attacking the K-9 officer and latched onto him, Guillot said. Guillot kicked the pit bull five or six times in an unsuccessful attempt to remove him from the police dog.

When the pit bull would not relent, Guillot shot the dog three times, killing it.

"I hate it, but the town paid $9,000 for this police dog and he is a police officer," Guillot said. "I would have done the same thing whether it be child, dog or myself."

Garrett and his wife, who allegedly began hitting an officer when Garrett fled, have both been charged with disturbing the peace by loud profane language, battery on a police officer, resisting an officer and battery on a K-9 officer.

The police dog, Samson, was treated at a local animal clinic for several lacerations, Guillot said.

"He's OK. I had to bring him to Bellevue Animal Clinic, and he was treated by the doctor for several lacerations and he was given some sutures for those lacerations and antibiotics," Guillot said.

The incident came as the town of Washington has spent the last few months reviewing its pit bull ordinance. The ordinance requires that owners have an insurance policy for the dog and keep the animal in a 6-foot tall enclosed area. The Garretts had neither, Guillot said.

(Daily World - March 10, 2012)