Connecticut: Witness to New Haven dog attack speaks out

CONNECTICUT -- When Tashea Washington Of Ella T. Grasso Boulevard in New Haven listened to a recording of a 911 call made in her neighborhood on June 20th memories came flooding back.

“The woman was screaming and she was saying ‘oh the dog is biting me,'” said Washington.

Washington tells News 8 she was a witness to a chaotic that involved a 53-year-old named Jocelyn Winfrey and the property owner, Hamilton Hicks. The two were attacked by Hicks’ dogs. The injuries Winfrey suffered were so severe she lost her life on Monday.

“She was screaming and then there were kids that were living next door throwing rocks at the dogs to try and get them off,” said Washington. “I realized that the dogs, they were taking flesh off of her and she was screaming and they bit her eyes, they bit her arm, a leg and they also bit the owner’s eyes.”

The first call to 911 city officials tell us came in at 7:46 in evening and by 7:49 EMTs were en route to respond. Seven minutes after the first call to 911 was made the concerned citizen called back again, apparently frustrated.

“I called the police and the ambulance awhile ago, they was over here getting attacked by dogs and I don’t see nobody here,” said the caller.

New Haven police would not be dispatched until eight o’clock, approximately 14 minutes after the first call came in. The time it took to come on scene doesn’t bother Washington. She says the work first responders did to help Winfrey and Hicks was nothing short of heroic.

“They played a major part I think, they did a good job,” said Washington.

The dogs involved in the attack are currently in quarantine at the New Haven Animal Shelter. They’re scheduled to be euthanized next week.

(WTNH - June 29, 2016)

Earlier:

• Connecticut: Woman suffers dog attack, New Haven changes emergency response
• Connecticut: Dogs to be put down, owner faces no additional charges following deadly attack
• Connecticut: New Haven woman dies after being attacked by two dogs