ST. MARYS, Ga. – A dog was euthanized Thursday after being shot by a police officer it had attacked and bitten in the thigh, police said.
Officers responded to reports of dogs attacking two women on Martha Drive near Chateau Garden Apartments at 7:52 a.m. Thursday.
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Witnesses said three dogs were preventing two women from walking down the sidewalk near the St. Marys Middle School.
An officer spoke with the complainants and found that one of the women had actually been knocked down by one of the dogs and that the dogs had gone into the Chateau Gardens subdivision.
The dogs were found in front of 500 Chateau Circle. Officers spoke with the resident of 502 Chateau Circle, who was in his driveway speaking on a phone.
While officers were trying to speak to the resident at 502, the dogs left the yard of 500 Chateau Circle, which was later found to be the home of the owner of the dogs, and crossed into the driveway shared by the residents of both addresses.
The resident of 502 tried to shoo the dogs away and succeeded in stopping two of them. But an officer was attacked by the third dog, which was a pit bull.
Officer Ian Dent sustained two bites to the inside of his upper left thigh in the area of his femoral artery. Dent tried multiple times to hit or kick the dog while backing up, yet the dog pressed the attack, police said.
Dent was able to draw his service weapon, a Glock .40 caliber pistol, and shoot the dog one time in the neck/shoulder area, which stopped the attack and scared the other two dogs back into their residence.
Dent was treated for the two bites and later returned to continue his shift.
The dog was picked up by Camden County Animal Control Officers and taken to a local veterinarian, where it was euthanized due to the severity of its injuries.