An Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy fatally shot a pit bull that was actively and viciously attacking a man on Monday morning in Lancaster, authorities confirmed.
Deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a dog attack at approximately 9:53 a.m. in the 43200 block of 20th Street West. Upon arrival, they observed a pit bull aggressively assaulting a man who was on the ground in the front yard of a residence. The man appeared unresponsive, and the yard was secured by a fence with a locked gate.
Despite the deputy's verbal commands to cease the assault, the dog reportedly did not disengage. The deputy then discharged their firearm, striking the animal and immediately ending the attack. The dog was pronounced deceased at the scene. The victim of the attack was transported to a local hospital and was reported to be in stable condition as of Monday evening.
Investigators later determined that the pit bull was owned by a family member residing with the victim. The L.A. County Animal Control was notified and has taken possession of the deceased dog. The circumstances leading to the attack are currently under investigation.
Captain Paul Bartlett of the Lancaster Station commended the responding deputies for their swift and courageous actions. "When our deputies arrived, they encountered a life-threatening emergency and acted without hesitation to save a man’s life," Bartlett stated. "After stopping the attack, they immediately transitioned from addressing the threat to providing lifesaving medical care until firefighters arrived."
This incident follows a similar event in July, where a man was fatally attacked by two pit bulls in Lancaster. In that prior case, a deputy also shot and killed one of the dogs to enable paramedics to reach the victim, who ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
