Police shot and killed a pit bull Wednesday after it mauled a boy in a public park.
The 8-year-old boy was playing with two pit bulls at Keeler Neighborhood Park in Skyline when one of them attacked him, witnesses told Fox 5. The boy’s mother called the station Thursday morning disputing this. She said the boy was playing near the dogs, not with them.)
“[The boy] was screaming ‘Help! Help!’ and I took trash bucket and threw it at the dog,” Carlos Hurtagos said.
The child was transported to Rady Children’s Hospital to be treated for face and arm injuries, according to SDPD. The boy’s mother was questioned by police before heading to the hospital to be with her son.
SkyFox was over the baseball field at Lisbon Street and Woodrow Avenue around 6:45 p.m. as San Diego police and animal control surrounded one of the pit bulls.
Witnesses said they heard three gunshots and saw officers kill the pit bull.
“A lot of times with pit bulls it takes several shots to get them down,” said San Diego police Lt. Brian Goldberg. ”They will continue to charge after one shot.”
Witnesses on the scene questioned whether the dog had to be shot three times and some raised concerns over the way it was handled.
“The first shot, we all got quiet. The second shot everyone was mad. Then the third shot everyone was jumping the fence,” said Chauntiele Courington, who lives near the park.
Police said the shooting was justified because the animal was aggressive and bit a child.
“The dog demonstrated it was aggressive,” said Lt. Goldberg.
Police tried to corner the second dog but it managed to escape through the neighborhood. It was later captured by police.
Anyone with information about the dogs has been asked to contact SDPD.
