Officer recalls his heroic role in pit bull attack

SOUTH CAROLINA -- The call went out over his radio that a woman had been attacked.

Her assailant?

A pit bull.

North Charleston Police Officer Kyle Radford and his Sergeant, Ryan Cato, didn’t hesitate; they rushed to the Dorchester County home where the dog had torn the left arm off 48-year-old Katherine Rizk.

When they arrived at the Ayscough Road home in the Wescott Plantation subdivision, the sight was frightening, graphic and the most memorable one of Radford’s career.

“The dog was coming toward us, and there was just blood all over his neck, stomach and chest,” he said.

Mr. Rizk told The Post and Courier he had had the pit bull named
Tiger for three years, since he was a puppy, and it
 had never been aggressive towards anyone.

The two officers feared for their own safety, and both drew their guns at the dog — owned by Rizk’s husband, police said.

In a split-second decision, they assumed their individual roles: Cato taming the four-legged attacker and Radford saving the victim’s life.

“Sergeant distracted the dog and kept chasing it until it returned to its residence and they locked it in a bedroom,” Radford said.

Luckily, just weeks earlier, the patrol officer had received a department-issued tourniquet, and he quickly got to work fastening the bandage to the woman’s upper arm, worried that it wouldn’t be enough to save her life.

“I was thinking, ‘Where do I put this, and am I doing it right?’” Radford said.

In the meantime, EMS hadn’t arrived, and the victim — still alert and begging Radford to save her life — was quickly losing blood.

“She lost a lot of blood, and she started turning different colors,” he said.

During the incident, it was her desperation — not her limb loss — that struck him, he said.

Katherine Rizk and her husband

“The carnage wasn’t so much what bothered me; it was her screaming, ‘Don’t let me die; don’t let me die,’ in my face for 45 minutes,” he said.

Rizk was later transported to the hospital; the dog was euthanized.

Radford said he recently returned to the residence on an unrelated call. But he said Rizk didn’t recognize him and opened the door with her left side shielded from his view.

“She’s never going to remember me, but she’ll remember what I did,” Radford said.

After a few moments, he reminded her of his role in the attack, and Rizk told him about her recovery. She also said she was getting a prosthetic arm.

Last month, Radford was publicly recognized for his heroic role during a special ceremony at the National Exchange Club’s North Charleston Chapter. The organization honored him as their Officer of the Year. Thankful for the honor, Radford said he’s also curious to learn who nominated him.

The dog attack shed new light on his role as public servant, and it mostly likely won’t be his last critical call as he works North Charleston’s streets.

His jurisdiction specifically includes a large portion of Dorchester County near the Charleston County line — along Dorchester, Ashley Phosphate and Cross County roads, he said. When needed, he and his team provides backup for the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office.

A childhood dream
Radford said for a time he thought he might soar the skies as a pilot like his father, but in the back of his mind he always knew he’d wear the badge. After all, it was his childhood dream.

“I always wanted to be a cop ever since I was little,” he said.

“Whenever they had the D.A.R.E. program (at school) I always listened. The uniform — I thought it looked good. I just really wanted to be a part of something like that. I was just fascinated with it.”

Radford’s two grandfathers also worked in the criminal justice system — one as a judge and the other as a North Carolina state trooper.

“I guess it was in my blood,” he said.

Even in his short time with North Charleston Police, he’s gained a wealth of experience.

“I’ve learned more in North Charleston than I have in my entire career because you’re exposed to so much,” Radford said. “Every day you don’t know what you’re going to get into. Some days will be easy, and it seems like the world’s OK, and other days you’re going from call to call. … Some days you got to run — you got to chase.”

While the city keeps him busy, he’d rather be overrun with calls than looking for something to do.

“There’s no way you can get complacent. You learn more when you’re in more danger. Complacency is what kills,” he said.

Radford has been with the local department since 2013. It’s his third job in the career field since obtaining his certification in 2008. He’s also worked as a state probation officer and an MUSC public safety officer.

Officer Kyle Radford

He said his most traumatic incident working the downtown hospital site involved a suicidal employee. He was first responder to the scene in 2011, when he said a doctor jumped from the top of the parking garage deck and later died.

However, the incident still falls second to the dog attack “because there was more blood” and the victim “was actually still talking to me,” Radford said of Rizk.

Over the years, he’s served alongside numerous officers, but it’s his current teammates, he said, who’ve impacted him most.

“The team that I’m on is the best team I’ve ever been on. …It’s legitimately a family. They’re my brothers, and I don’t know what I’d do without them,” he said.

Radford also credited his wife Sophia with keeping him grounded and reminding him to keep work at the “office.”

“My wife makes me not on edge. She says, ‘You’re not a cop right now. You’ve got to get get your mind off that,’” he said.

The two married earlier this year.

(Journalscene.com - ‎Dec 27, 2015‎)

Earlier:

• South Carolina woman's arm ripped off by her beloved pet pit bull