Lancaster City police say an officer was forced to shoot and kill a pit bull who was acting aggressively after escaping from the back of a pickup truck on Wednesday afternoon.
Officers responded to parking lot along the first block of West King Street around 4:26 p.m. after getting reports of an aggressive dog at a nearby business. The caller reported that dog was growling at him and he was concerned for his customer’s safety.
As police tried to block off the scene for the public’s safety–they were met with verbal resistance from onlookers.
At one point–police said a man intentionally placed himself between the officer and the dog. In order to keep the man safe–officers placed him in handcuffs. He was later released without charges.
Efforts to locate and contact the dog’s owner were unsuccessful, police said.
Additional officers arrived at the scene with a cable-loop snare. The dog snapped at the snare as officers tried to put it around the dog’s neck.
Police then used a Taser in an effort to incapacitate the dog–but it didn’t’ have any effect.
According to police reports, the dog began growling at officers with the hackles up on its back. Fearing the dog may attack, an officer shot the dog twice, killing it.
Protestors gathered outside of the Lancaster City Police station Thursday afternoon to speak out against the officer who shot and killed the dog.
FOX43’s Eames Yates spoke with eyewitnesses and protestors, as well as the head of the Lancaster SPCA.
Tune in to FOX43 News at 4 and 5 for the latest details on this developing story.