PENNSYLVANIA -- Police were forced to taser a white pit bull twice on Sunday, thanks to his owner who was hiding out inside of an apartment after punching a woman, possibly breaking her arm, authorities said.
Julius A. Cook, 36, is now behind bars at the county jail in lieu of 10 percent of $100,000. The dog is being cared for by his girlfriend, who also allegedly refused to help police control it after it attacked another pit bull.
Police were called to the 1400 block of West MacDade Boulevard shortly before 2 p.m. for an assault that had just occurred, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
The responding officer saw a man, later identified as Cook, with a white pit bull and a smaller brown pit bull in the apartment complex’s parking lot. The officer was told that Cook was the man who had hit a female victim, the affidavit states. The officer told Cook to put the dogs away then to come back outside so he could talk to him.
When Cook left, the officer spoke to the female victim, who said she was walking her dog when Cook’s pit bull attacked, the affidavit states. She yelled to Cook several times to get his dog off of her dog. When he ignored her, she grabbed one of his pit bulls and pulled it away from her dog. Cook allegedly responded by ordering his dog to “get her,” and to “sic” the woman.
Cook punched the woman her in her arm with a closed fist, forcing her to let go of the dog, the affidavit states. She ran back to her apartment and called 911. She was transported to Taylor Hospital by ambulance.
Witnesses gave police the apartment number where he was staying with his girlfriend. Several police officers knocked on his door, but Cook refused to respond. The officers’ summoned an employee of the apartment complex and the door was opened. When police entered the apartment they were immediately charged by the white pit bull. A Taser was deployed, striking the dog, which ran into the kitchen were Cook was hiding.
At that point, Cook’s girlfriend arrived and was asked to put the dog away. She too refused, according to the affidavit. When police went into the living room, they told Cook they were not there to hurt him or the dog. The white pit bull again charged at police and was tasered a second time, incapacitating the animal.
When Cook continued to refuse to come out of the kitchen, police deployed a Taser on him, according to the affidavit. He was placed under arrest.
Cook, of the 5800 block of Spruce Street and who has an active warrant out of Ridley Township District Court, was arraigned on a number of charges, including aggravated assault, possessing instruments of crime, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest and related offenses.
The victim was later interviewed at the hospital where she was being treated for a possible broken arm, the affidavit states. Her dog was not seriously injured.
Cook’s dog is being cared for by his girlfriend, who will be receiving a citation in connection with the incident, police said.
(DelcoTimes - June 12, 2012)
