North Philadelphia

Police Officer Shoots Dog That Latched Onto Owner's Arm in Philadelphia

Prior to the officer opening fire, the man’s family members had tried hitting the dog with an aluminum baseball bat, but they told detectives that that only caused the pit bull mix to bite down harder

Police sirens flash behind police crime scene tape
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A Philadelphia police officer shot a dog after investigators said it latched onto its owner’s arm and refused to let go despite the man’s family members hitting the animal with a baseball bat in an effort to get it to release its grip.

The officer responded to the area of 5th and Venango streets in North Philadelphia just before 1 a.m. Thursday, firing a single shot and striking the dog, which had badly injured the 41-year-old man and his wife, Philadelphia Police Department Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

Prior to the officer opening fire, the man’s family members had tried hitting the dog with an aluminum baseball bat, but they told detectives that that only caused the pit bull mix to bite down harder, according to Small.

“The bullet did its job, so the dog no longer was attacking this 41-year-old male,” he said.

The man suffered several “serious” bites to his head, neck, torso, leg and both arms, causing him to bleed heavily, Small said. The man’s 38-year-old wife had a bite on her leg, the chief inspector added. Both were expected to survive.

Investigators were trying to determine what prompted the attack. The dog was taken in by animal control, Small said.

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