A San Diego police officer had to shoot a pit bull four times to avoid a dog bite incident the morning of January 17, 2010 in the Clairemont Mesa area. According to a news report in the San Diego Union-Tribune, the officers were called to Derrick Avenue and Genesee Drive after a woman reported that two pit bulls were loose in the neighborhood and were behaving aggressively toward people in the area, including an elderly couple.

Menacing Dogs Shot

The woman who reported the dogs told police she had to jump into the back of a pickup truck to get away from the loose dogs. When the officers arrived on scene, the dogs charged at them. That's when one of the officers fired. One dog was struck while the other ran away. The second dog was found later and its owner was cited. The 1-year-old pit bull that was shot was euthanized later.

I'm relieved that no one sustained serious personal injuries in this incident. These dogs could have certainly caused a great deal of damage. I'm glad there were no children playing in the area either. It's frightening to even think about what might have happened had these dogs jumped on elderly pedestrians or young children in the area.

Police Dog Shootings in 2008

According to a report recently released by Seattle-based advocacy group, Dogsbite.org, there were 372 incidents in the United States in 2008 involving citizens and police shooting pit bulls in order to stop or prevent a dog attack. Nationwide, 319 pit bulls died from the 626 bullets that were fired and 148 people sustained dog bite injuries. Also, three of these injuries were serious enough to require amputations and six of these dog bite victims involved in these incidents died.

Irresponsible Dog Owners Should be Held Accountable

In this particular case, the owner or owners of these two pit bulls that were running around loose and terrorizing this San Diego neighborhood, should certainly be held accountable. Under California law, dog owners can be held liable for injuries caused by their dogs, whether or not the dog has had an incident in the past or whether or not the owner is aware of its prior viciousness. Counties and cities are also beginning to go after dog owners by filing criminal charges against them. If you have been injured as a result of a dog bite, please consult with an experienced San Diego personal injury lawyer to find out more about your legal rights and options.

We are not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call a reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free confidential consultation to "not a fault" persons named in this article and their family members.

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