A Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputy shot a dog that attacked him and bit him in the face this afternoon (July 31), Sheriff Dave Marshak said in a press release.
The deputy was taken to an area hospital for treatment and the dog, a pit-bull mix, was taken to an animal hospital for treatment.
According to the release, the 27-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office sustained “substantial injuries” from the dog attack while attempting to serve a civil process summons at a home in the 6100 block of Cedar Hill Road in Cedar Hill.
The report says the deputy attempted to contact the homeowner at the front door and received no response. He noticed a side door where a storm door was ajar. As he walked to the side door, the dog ran at him from the rear of the house, lunged at the deputy and bit the deputy’s face near the corner of his mouth, according to the report.
The deputy pushed the dog off of his face, but it attacked again, biting the deputy on the left arm. With the dog latched to his arm, the deputy retrieved his gun from his holster, fired several shots and hit the animal once, the report said.
Sgt. Matthew Moore with the Sheriff's Office said he did not know the deputy’s condition as of 5:30 p.m. today (July 31) and said it was too early in the investigation to determine if charges would be sought against the pet owner. The investigation is continuing, he said.