Officer opens fire on charging dogs in Fort Lauderdale
FLORIDA -- One dog was killed and another injured after they charged an officer and were shot in Fort Lauderdale Friday afternoon, police said.
Officers were called out to the 1800 block of Southwest 22nd Street about noon over a report of the dogs attacking residents and a pet. When police arrived, one dog charged at an officer, police said.
“The officer resorted to his firearm, because the dog kept viciously trying to attack him,” Fort Lauderdale Police spokeswoman Detective DeAnna Garcia said.
The dog was shot in the leg, and it retreated to the rear of a house, she said. Detectives say in an effort to secure that dog, the officer tried to close a backyard fence.
"When the officer went to secure that fence, the second dog was charging at him, ultimately latched on to his boot and the officer had no other choice but to resort to his firearm and discharged his weapon onto the dog," Garcia said.
That dog died and the other was taken away by animal control, police said.
The officer wasn't injured.
Police say they haven't located the owner of the dogs. Though neighbors described the dogs as pit bulls, police didn't identify the dogs' breed.
Police said animal control officials were investigating.
(nbcmiami - Jan 18, 2013)
