MISSOURI -- A St. Louis County sheriff's deputy shot and injured a pitbull on Tuesday in rural Aurora. Authorities said it was in self-defense.
According to Sheriff Ross Litman, the deputy was attempting to serve paperwork to a homeowner on Vermilion Trail.
The deputy noticed two dogs on the property. He sat in his squad car, watching them for a time, trying to figure out if they were friendly. When he got out of his squad, one of the dogs appeared friendly. The other dog started circling him. It was a pit bull.
Litman said that the deputy tried using his taser and then throwing the court papers at the pit bull to keep it from attacking. But Litman said the dog lunged at the deputy, attempting to attack him, and that's when the shot was fired.
The dog ran off, and the deputy tried finding it. But he could not. Litman said the deputy notified his supervisor and filled out the necessary reports.
The owners told authorities they themselves ended up putting the dog down.
Litman said that the deputy acted appropriately. "There was no other option for him," the Sheriff explained.
(WDIO - July 12, 2012)
