HAMDEN, CT — A dog owner shot and killed his pit bull after it attacked another dog and he thought it might attack three children at a park in Hamden on Sunday, according to police. Hamden Police responded to the area of Brook Street and Wintergreen Avenue on the report of "shots fired" on Dec. 23, according to Capt. Ronald Smith.

Smith said investigation revealed that Walter Haller was walking his dog "off-leash" in the nearby park. A Hamden resident, who was accompanied by three children, entered the park with a dog that was on a leash.

"Haller's dog, a pit bull, attacked the dog, causing serious injuries," Smith said in a press release. "Haller acknowledged that he thought his dog might attack the children. He subsequently 'pulled his legally licensed .22 handgun' and shot his dog, killing it."