RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - A Richmond Police officer shot two dogs near a South Richmond school bus stop. One of the dogs died, according to Richmond Police.
Police were called to Midlothian Turnpike near Erich Road about 7:45 a.m. for a report of a dog biting a man.
"Officers arrived on scene within minutes and found an individual who had been bitten by one of the dogs and was pinned against a building by two large dogs," police wrote in a statement. "Several officers then rounded up children in the area waiting at bus stops and safely got them on other buses or back home to their parents."
While police waited for Animal Care and Control to arrive, police said "the dogs continued to run in the area where children were gathering at school bus stops."
When the officer attempted to distract the dogs, the dogs charged toward him, police said.
"The officer then determined he could safely stop the threat and took action. He fired twice and struck both dogs, killing one of them," the police statement read.
The Department’s Internal Affairs Unit is investigating the shooting.
"The surviving animal was humanely euthanized due to the severity of the injury," city spokesman Mile Wallace said in an email. "Both animals will be sent to the state lab for rabies testing..
Wallace said the dogs were Brindle pit bulls. The man originally bit by the dog was treated at the hospital.
Lieutenant John Garcia told CBS 6 that if an officer feels threatened or the safety of others is at risk, the officer will shoot. "It's no cut and dry rule."
A parent agreed with the action taken by the officers.
"I rather the kids be safe before dogs go hurting people," said Cheneice Jones. "If it were my child, I would've wanted the cops to have done the same thing."
Wallace told CBS 6 that Pharaoh Mosby of the 900 block of Halsey Land has received two summons in relation to today's incident. One summons is for an unrestrained dog and the other summons is for not having current rabies vaccination.
