“I was just leaking blood,” Fogle said.
Around 12:45 p.m. Tuesday the 23-year-old Fogle was walking to the store from his home on the 600 block of West Fifth street, he said, when out of nowhere the dog attacked.
“He was reaching for my neck, and me and him was in the middle of the road scuffling,” Fogle said. “I was trying to get him off me. He bit me, and I was trying to bite him back or something just to get him off me.”
We spoke to Fogle as he was leaving Lakeland Regional Medical Center. That is where he spent nearly eight hours getting stitches for his wounds. Fogle had a bite mark on his left ankle. Both of his arms were bit to the bone and part of his thumb was nearly detached.
His family wants to know why the dog was on the loose to begin with.
“It could have been worse but thank God a lot of people protected him,” Carolyn Dent said. Dent said her son fought back, but doesn’t know if he would have survived if neighbors hadn't jumped in to help.
“They beat the dog and pepper sprayed him,” Dent said.
Finally, the dog let go. Fogle said after that he didn't know what was going on because he had been inadvertently pepper sprayed as well.
“It came in my eye so I was like in shock really,” Fogle said.
He was rushed to the hospital to undergo surgery on his wounds.
“He's got over a thousand stitches,” Dent said. “The wrist right here, it was open and the thumb you can look down in it and see nerves. I am blessed and grateful he is here.”
After neighbors called 911 Lakeland Police officer Ace Williams and Animal Control officer Amanda Hashmead tried to secure the dog, but he was able to break loose and bite Hashmead on the leg. Witnesses said it took nearly eight shots before the attack stopped.
“Officer Williams realized the dog was still alive and suffering and put the dog out of its misery by administering one final shot as per LPD policy,” Lakeland Police Department said in a statement.
The Animal Control officer should have had a service weapon to protect herself. It's ridiculous that they send these officers out there to deal with these vicious dogs with a damn stick and some pepper spray.
Cellphone video taken by Tenesa Johnson showed the final shot and first responders taking care of Hashmead’s wound.
“It was a crazy day,” Johnson said. “I am grateful no kids were out here cause when he was down there eating up John…they did everything they could to get this dog off of him, and he wouldn't stop.”
Police said they are investigating. At this point no charges have been filed. According to police the dog’s owner lives in New York and was getting care from Tina Williams and Greg Harley.
(ABC Action News - Sept 2, 2015)
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