The teen is expected to recover thanks to her 9-year-old brother's quick reaction to call police.
Detective Sgt. Robert Bracken said a 911 call came in to the Clifton Police Department around 1:30 p.m. on July 19 reporting a pit bull attacking a young female on Starmond Avenue. The call came from her younger brother.
Sgt. Harold Van Winkle said he was "around the corner" from the caller's home when the call came in and was able to arrive on scene in less than a minute.
"I've been on the job a long time," Van Winkle said, "and you know something is wrong when a call comes in like that. It's not a run of the mill call."
Upon arrival, Van Winkle said he saw the brother standing in the driveway with a cell phone still to his ear. Van Winkle said the boy appeared to be in shock and would not communicate, but the sergeant was able to get the boy to point downstairs toward the basement through the side door entrance to the home.
Inside, Van Winkle said he noticed staircases leading to the second floor and to the basement and both were stained with blood. He said it was clear there had been a struggle.
Van Winkle slowly made his way down the stairs into the basement where he said conditions were quiet and dark. Van Winkle said he had his flashlight drawn as he continued down while calling out to announce that he was a police officer.
Van Winkle described what happened next as "surreal." He said the young victim came running out of a side room in the basement completely saturated in blood while the dog was chasing "two steps" behind. Van Winkle said the nearly 100-pound, year-and-a-half-old male pit bull had a red ring of blood around its mouth.
"It was like something out of a movie," said Van Winkle. "I grabbed [the girl] and put myself between her and the dog. The dog was fixated on her and I don't believe the dog ever even saw me. [The dog] ran into my legs trying to get to her. I had my gun drawn. With one arm covering [the girl], I fired two shots – one in [the dog's] back and one in its head – and the dog spun around and went down."
Van Winkle quickly snatched the girl up and escorted her up the stairs where back-up officers were arriving. The secondary units grabbed medical kits and began administering first aid to the girl.
"My only first thoughts were to get the girl to safety," said Van Winkle. "She had very severe injuries to her left arm. It was horrible."
Bracken said the girl also received scratches and lacerations to her legs and abdomen and was quickly taken to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson where she was declared to be in serious condition. On Tuesday, Van Winkle said he last heard the girl will recover and will keep her arm, despite some damage to her tendons.
After the girl was secured, Van Winkle said he moved back into the basement to ensure the dog was down, but instead he found the dog was gone.
After conducting a search of the basement, Van Winkle said he saw the dog hiding in the corner of the laundry room.
"Apparently the bullet bounced off [the dog's] head," Van Winkle said, explaining that at this point Clifton Animal Control Officer Bob Boyle was on scene. Van Winkle alerted Boyle that the dog was still alive and needed to be snared.
Boyle and Van Winkle made their way into the basement slowly. Van Winkle said the dog was staring at them and growling and as the two made their way closer the dog became aggressive and started coming toward them as if to attack.
Van Winkle said he then fired one final shot in the dog's head, putting it down.
"At this point there is no indication that the animal was provoked," said Bracken, adding an investigation is still underway. "It appears to have been an unfortunate circumstance."
During a subsequent investigation, police learned the dog was unlicensed and Boyle said a violation fine will be issued to the family. Upon noticing a large scar on the 9-year-old boy's forearm, officers learned the same dog attacked the boy sometime in 2011.
Boyle said the typical fine for unlicensed animals is approximately $75, explaining additional summonses will be issued if the owner does not obtain the proper licensure.
Boyle said an animal license can be obtained in the Clifton Health Department and will be issued to those with vaccination papers that expire after the term of the license.
A one-year license costs $12 for a fixed dog and $16 for a dog that is not fixed. A three-year license costs $33 for a dog that is fixed and $45 for a dog that is not fixed. Boyle said there are special rules or exceptions for specific dog breeds.
"With any animal," Boyle said, "male or female, when they're not fixed, they can be more aggressive as they get older. A dog in heat can be more aggressive. And it's not healthy for the animal if you're not going to breed."
Boyle said the pit bull involved in the attack had been neutered.
(NorthJersey.com - July 27, 2012)
