N.C. Police Officer Escapes Serious Injury During Arrest Dog Attack

A dog was fatally shot when the pet attacked a police officer during a chaotic arrest in eastern North Carolina, according to police.

The officer was bitten on the left thigh but escaped serious injury, the Kinston Police Department said in a Jan. 7 news release.

The shooting happened around 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7, in a residential neighborhood about an 80-mile drive southeast from Raleigh.

Investigators say the officer had just made an arrest in the 600 block of Terminal Street “when several individuals at the scene began to argue” with him.

“During an already chaotic situation, a dog escaped one of the individual’s vehicles and lunged several times at the officer, biting him one time on the left thigh,” police said.

“In order to protect himself from getting bit by the dog again, the officer shot the dog one time, killing the dog.”

An investigation is underway.

The initial 911 call was about a “disturbance” in the neighborhood, but police have not released details of why a suspect was arrested.

Police Chief Keith Goyette extended condolences to the dog’s owner

“This is a tragic incident for everyone involved,” Goyette said in the release. “Our officers are trained to handle a variety of situations, but the safety of our officers and the public is always our top priority.”

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