Owner of pit bull which attacked police officer says she's partially to blame for his dog attacking her

CANADA -- The owner of a dog shot and killed after it attacked a police officer said he’ll miss a beloved member of his family.

It was a loud disagreement between Darcey Pearse and his father on the lawn of their Abbeydale home Friday afternoon that prompted someone to phone police.

Pearse’s father had left on a walk and Pearse had let his two-year-old pit bull Sammy out for some fresh air in the yard.

He said while he was attempting to put the dog back in the house, a female officer approached him to talk.

Sammy began barking at the stranger.

Pearse alleges the officer didn’t formally introduce herself.

He claims he asked if he could put the dog away first, but was told no.

During the course of the exchange, he lost his grip on Sammy’s chain.

The officer began moving away, but the pit bull bit her arm, after which she drew her gun and fired, claims Pearse.

“I was screaming, ‘My dog, my dog,’ ... I was crying like a baby,” said Pearse.

“He was a member of my family.”

Pearse said he owns some of the responsibility for the incident, admitting the officer was justified in defending herself once the dog attacked her, but he said he wasn’t impressed with how the situation was handled up to that point and will consider filing a complaint to the service.

“(The blame) is 50-50,” he said.

“It was just unfortunate.”

Sammy liked to bark and once got out and ran down the street, but otherwise, the dog hasn’t been a problem in the community, Pearse said.

Calgary police Insp. Steve Ellefson said as of Saturday afternoon, no criminal charges had been laid.

“We’re turning the investigation over to Animal and Bylaw Services,” he said.

The injured officer was taken to hospital where she was treated and later released, said Ellefson.
(Sun News - Oct 20, 2013)