Posted on 07/19/2013 7:53:38 AM PDT by Deadeye Division
ENGLEWOOD —
A pit bull was killed when a police officer was forced to fire his gun in defense this morning.
The officer was responding to an assault at 1026 Merrywood Drive around 5:30 a.m. after a woman called in reference to an altercation with a man at his home, Englewood Sgt. Mike Lang said.
The woman does not live at the house, Lang said. She reportedly left but forgot to retrieve her vehicle’s keys, and the man, identified as 30-year-old Daryn Evans, would not return them, Lang said.
Officers attempted to make contact with Evans in an effort to obtain the woman’s keys, but he was uncooperative for about an hour and a half. Eventually he threw the keys out the door, which is when the pit bull escaped, charging at officers, Lang said.
Police fired around a half-dozen shots, witnesses said.
Lang said there are several elements officers must look at before discharging a weapon. In this case, the dog posed an immediate threat and the backdrop of the situation was safe enough for the officer to fire his weapon.
The woman suffered minor injuries during the altercation inside the home, Lang said. Evans was taken into custody around 6:50 a.m. and is charged with assault.
Bump
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