The officer was dispatched to the 500 block of Oak Street at around 11:30 a.m. Saturday to respond to a report of two pit bulls running loose in the area.
According to Muskegon police, a woman reported that the same two pit bulls had previously attacked a 70-year-old man.
On Saturday the dogs were running around in that neighborhood. The alleged attack on the elderly man had occurred some time prior to Saturday, police said.
The officer spoke to the complainant on Saturday.
During his conversation with that woman, another woman in the area pointed out the two loose dogs to the police officer.
The dogs began to charge the officer, one of them barking, so the officer raised his weapon and fired at both of them, police said. It wasn’t clear whether the dogs were struck by gunfire.
The dogs turned around and ran from the area, police said. They weren’t immediately located. The officer attempted to contact the dog owner, but wasn't successful as of Tuesday afternoon, police said.
The investigation continues.
The city's pit bull problem has only worsened since earlier this year, police said.
Most recently a man walking in the area of 700 block of Marcoux Avenue had to jump on top of a vehicle to evade a pit bull that chased him. That dog was captured by Muskegon Police and a Muskegon County Vector Control deputy.
An unlicensed pit bull that attacked a Muskegon resident in June and bit a city police officer was shot and killed by another officer. It was the third pit bull since April that was shot by Muskegon police, who have been responding to a high number of loose dog calls this year.
Dogs that aren’t tied up or locked inside a home pose a risk to the public and police officers who have to respond to the calls, authorities said. Per the city’s animal ordinance, a pit bull is considering a dangerous animal and has to be properly secured or the owner could be cited.
(Muskegon Chronicle - Sept 18, 2012)
