Police shot dead the American Bully, which had mauled one of their officers, on Monday evening after spending hours attempting to safely capture the dangerous dog
A dangerous dog that was let loose during a traffic stop, injuring a police officer, has been shot dead after three days on the loose.
Police marksmen took down the animal on Monday evening in Poole, Dorset, after a member of the public spotted the dog roaming the Talbot Village area of the town. The dog is believed to have been an American Bully breed.
Dorset Police officers responded to the concerned call at around 1pm and spent a number of hours attempting to safely capture the escaped dog. However, the decision was ultimately made to put it down using a firearm when their attempts failed.
A spokesperson for Dorset Police, speaking to Bournemouth News Agency, said: “Regrettably, having explored all other options, the dog was put down by officers due to the ongoing threat it posed to the public.”
They continued: “The decision was made after exploring all other contingencies while balancing the safety to the public.”
The American Bully escaped its owner’s control at 10.30pm on Friday (April 4) on Coy Pond Road in Poole, when Dorset Police Sgt Mark Moreland-Francis approached a vehicle he had stopped following reports of suspicious activity, the force has said.
The man allegedly let go of the dog’s lead as he got out of his vehicle, causing “substantial” injuries to the police officer’s arm before running away. Dorset Police have said the man then made off on foot, with both the suspect and the dog initially remaining at large.
Sgt. Moreland-Francis was treated for puncture wounds at the scene, while the search began.
However on Saturday, police arrested a 32-year-old man from London, Andre Harold Willis, who has been charged with being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control, wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent, and driving whilst disqualified and driving without valid insurance.
The police search for the missing dangerous dog lasted three days, with specialist officers and drones being deployed to track it down. Yet, it was a call from a member of the public on Monday that ultimately led to the American Bully being found.
The Dorset Police spokesperson continued: “We would like to thank the local community for their patience and understanding as we responded to this incident and would particularly like to thank members of the public who provided information to assist with locating the dog.”
