ENFIELD, Ct. – An officer shot and killed a pit bull that police say violently attacked a woman in Connecticut on Tuesday.
The Enfield Police Department says the officer was investigating a call at about 4:30 p.m. when he observed the large dog attack the woman.
As the officer ran over, the dog continued to bite the woman’s foot, causing severe lacerations and tissue damage, the department said in a statement.
Police say the dog’s owners were able to briefly stop the dog from attacking the woman by pouring hot water on it, but the animal then lunged toward to victim’s neck, bit her again and begun to pull her back into the front yard of the property from the sidewalk.
The officer then “dispatched” the dog to avoid further injury to the woman, according to the department.
The woman was treated by EMS personnel at the scene, but her current condition and the severity of her injuries are unknown at this time.
In their statement, the department stressed that actions like killing the dog are taken only under extraordinary circumstances.
“This outcome, while unfortunate, appears to have been unavoidable, in an effort to protect the female victim from any further harm or additional injury,” wrote police.
A supervisory review of the incident is ongoing.
