LAPD officer shot and killed a dog after it repeatedly bit a worker and officer during a homeless encampment cleanup in Pacoima on Tuesday. All three injured parties were hospitalized in stable condition.
A Los Angeles police officer shot and killed a dog after the animal repeatedly bit two people during a homeless encampment cleanup in Pacoima on Tuesday.
The incident occurred around 10:40 a.m. in the 10300 block of Norris Avenue, where LAPD officers from the Foothill Division were conducting a joint operation with the Bureau of Sanitation and Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
According to LAPD Captain Mike Bland, a large unrestrained dog approached the group and began attacking. The dog first bit one of the workers repeatedly before turning on the officer and attacking as well.
"It actually attacked and bit one of the workers repeatedly. Then, it turned on the officer, attacked and bit the officer repeatedly, and that resulted in an officer-involved shooting," Bland said.
The officer opened fire and the dog was struck and died at the scene.
The officer sustained significant injuries to his lower body and was awaiting surgery. A sanitation employee suffered minor injuries to his arm. A LAHSA employee suffered minor abrasions. All three individuals were transported by the Los Angeles Fire Department to a local hospital and were said to be in stable condition.
"The officer, a sanitation employee and a LAHSA employee were all taken to the hospital to be treated. They were all said to be in stable condition," according to ABC7.
The LAPD's Force Investigation Division was deployed to the scene and has assumed investigative responsibility. Investigators will review statements and footage from the officers' body-worn cameras to learn more about how the attack unfolded.
The Los Angeles Sanitation Bureau took custody of the dog's remains and transported them to the L.A. Department of Animal Services' East Valley shelter for a necropsy.
Bland emphasized that shooting a person or animal is never the goal for officers.
"We never want to shoot a person or an animal," Bland said. "In situations like this, as a last resort when faced with a life or death situation, officers will use deadly force."
The dog was not immediately identified as a stray. LAPD officials only described it as an "unrestrained dog."
This article was generated with AI assistance.