Police were unable to secure five dogs involved in the vicious attack of a man, who later died after suffering wounds that needed 500 stitches from 300 bites and 100 lacerations
The emergency responders sent to deal with five pit bulls that attacked a man were forced to retreat due to how aggressive the dogs were. The horrific attack in November last year saw Chris Culbertson, 46, pass away from his injuries after he was mauled by the vicious pack for 23 minutes.
Security footage from Kansas City, Missouri, in the US shows Mr Culbertson approached and circled by two dogs as he was riding his bike. He then fell to the ground, leading to more dogs joining the attack. Some even broke through a fence.
Mr Culbertson needed 500 stitches to his awful wounds and he died in hospital four days later after his injuries turned septic. John Thibeaux Sr and John Thibeaux Jr were charged with one count of second-degree assault and one count of first-degree involuntary manslaughter, according to The Kansas City Star.
A SWAT team, K-9 team and animal shelter workers were unable to get the dogs under control after the attack, according to documents obtained by the news outlet. The documents were from the animal shelter KC Pet Project.
Officers are allowed to destroy dogs if they pose a public threat but the dogs were instead left in the fenced yard of their owner. The five dogs had been able to get away from Culbertson and into a yard through holes in the fencing. The dogs had disappeared when officers returned the next day.
During the attack, lights and horns had been used to try and scare the dogs away from Culbertson. After he and neighbour Holly Lane, who was also attacked, were taken to hospital an animal service officer arrived on the scene after receiving reports of six aggressive dogs. One of the dogs had been tied to a tree and was not involved in the attack.
Following an attempt to capture the dogs, Thibeaux Sr arrived on the scene with a key to the padlocked enclosure, an animal service officer was told by cops. A probable cause statement said Thibeaux Sr said he lived there, but recanted his statement when he was told of the attack.
He said one of the dogs belonged to his son, who was the called to the address. The son said only one of the dogs belonged to him and that the others were strays.
Officials waited for a warrant to seize the animals and then went to take the dogs with K-9 officers and a SWAT team. One officer said that one of the dogs “forcibly grabbed my catchpole and ripped it out of my hands and into the yard”.
A second animal service officer then arrived on the scene and described seeing a number of officers from law enforcement walking around with shotguns. They also told police that officers from the animal shelter KC Pet Project could not take the dogs because there was a locked gate.
“After the SWAT team used pepper spray on the dogs, they no longer were coming to the fence and we were unable to gain entry to the property safely and the scene was cleared with only one dog impounded,” the officer said in the report by KC Pet Project.
There were plans for officers to return and sedate the animals the next day, but they had all disappeared. Thibeaux Jr met officers at the property and granted permission for it to be inspected.
Nine puppies were found in two kennels in a back bedroom. Based on social meda posts about puppies for sale, police said later that Thibeaux Jr ran a dog breeding firm.
The KC Pet Project report said a number of dogs matching the description of the pack were found within two miles of the property. They were impounded and euthanised.