On June 4th, 2021 at 12:13 PM, a Marion Police Officer was travelling in the 400 block of Windsor Street when he observed a man with a hatchet and a woman screaming in a nearby yard. The officer’s initial perception was that the two individuals were engaged in a domestic dispute. The officer quickly realized that there was a loose pit-bull that attacked multiple people. The pit-bull then bit the officer’s thigh and attacked a nearby male. The officer fired his weapon in defense of himself and the public, killing the dog.
The officer was advised that the dog came from a nearby home in the 400 block of Windsor Street and that there was another, more aggressive dog that was still in the home. The officer went directly to this location and found a severely injured female lying at the front door who had been mauled by the second pit-bull that was still in the house. Additional officers and MFD medics were summoned to the scene to tend to the injured female who had sustained multiple bite wounds. It was also learned that a third victim had been seriously injured by this same dog prior to the arrival of the officer and had already been transported to Marion General Hospital by family. In total, three persons were transported to MGH for significant injuries sustained by these two dogs, including the dogs’ owner.
The Marion Police Department contacted the Dog Warden, who responded to the scene and he was assisted by Marion PD Officers and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. The Dog Warden attempted to remove the second vicious dog (a large dog weighing approximately 110lbs) who was contained in the upstairs portion of the duplex apartment. Ultimately, the second dog was dispatched by MPD Officers when they were unable to safely secure the dog into a snare. Both dogs were removed from the area by the Dog Warden.
“Killing a dog is not something we take lightly", said Marion Police Chief Jay McDonald. “Given the vicious nature of the dog involved here, our officers were left with no reasonable alternative and there is little question in my mind that their intervention prevented even more injuries from occurring.”
Sheriff Matt Bayles said “I am thankful that no additional injuries were caused and I wish a speedy recovery to all of the people who were hurt today by these dogs.”