Officer opens fire on pit bull in Brockton

BROCKTON (WHDH) -- Police say an officer was forced to open fire on a pit bull, hitting it in the leg, after it attacked a woman out for a walk in Brockton Tuesday.

The quiet Brockton neighborhood was still talking about the violent encounter with the pit bull Wednesday night.

“I was scared. I felt bad for the dog, I think he felt cornered,” said Alacia Demonte, a neighbor.

According to police reports, neighbors say a woman had been bitten "on her forearm" by a large pit bull. She told police the attack was unprovoked.

When police went looking for the dog, they found him charging a neighbor forcing the man to "jump on the roof of his car to avoid being bitten."

“He didn't seem scared because he said he knew the dog. I think he felt like this was his territory and people were encroaching on him,” said David Park, a neighbor,” said David Park, a neighbor.

Police say the dog then turned on the officer "running full speed" at him. The pit bull was about three feet in front of the officer when he pulled out his gun and fired.

“The dog turned around and got really low to the ground and just ran at him,” Demonte said.

“He waited until the last second and let him have it,” said Park.

The dog survived, and is back with his owner. 7News tried to talk with a man who claims he's the dog's owner, but he didn't have much to say.

“I wasn't home. I came home, my dog got shot,” the man said.

Police say the homeowner is facing a handful of violations.

Neighbors say they've never had a problem with the dog before and think the commotion was the result of the dog feeling threatened.

“I think he was just trying to get back into his house and felt scared because of everyone that was around,” said Park said.

According to police, the dog’s owner is being cited for not registering the dog, not vaccinating the dog, and a leash law violation.

The 54-year-old female victim is doing fine.