Eric D. Lawrence Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

Steve Constantine remains in critical condition at Detroit Receiving Hospital%2C according to police.

Police are now seeking a felony criminal charge against the owner of the dogs.

The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office is weighing whether to charge the owner of a pack of pit bulls that mauled a man on Detroit's east side earlier this month.

Almost two weeks after indicating that criminal charges were unlikely in the case that left 50-year-old Steve Constantine fighting for his life, a Detroit police spokesman said a warrant request was submitted to the prosecutor's office Tuesday seeking a felony charge of harboring a vicious animal causing serious injury. The dogs' owner, Derrick Felton, 61, initially was issued five misdemeanor citations for the attack, and police had said a felony charge was unlikely because there did not appear to be any malicious intent.

Maria Miller, a spokeswoman for Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, said today that the request is under review, but a decision will not be made this week.

Constantine remains hospitalized in critical condition at Detroit Receiving Hospital after the vicious attack Oct. 2.

Recordings of 911 calls released to the Free Press tell the story of a helpless man mauled in the darkness of an east-side Detroit street.

As Constantine lay on the ground in the throes of the attack, a caller described a scene fit for a horror movie.

"He's yelling out for help," the caller said in a remarkably calm voice. "The dogs are all over him."

The dispatcher, who noted police and emergency personnel were en route, asked the caller how many dogs were involved.

"It's kind of dark. I can't see, but about six of them," the man said during the call he made at 9:17 p.m. on Oct. 2.

The 911 calls — two related to the attack and a third from a prior incident with barking dogs audible in the background — and a half-dozen police reports obtained by the Free Press add chillingly gruesome details to the horrific attack in the 4500 block of Pennsylvania. Constantine, who had lost a great deal of blood and was fighting for his life, was conscious but unable to talk to arriving officers. Police said 12 dogs, all pit bull mixes, were involved in the mauling at some point, and five to seven were still attacking Constantine when officers arrived.

The dogs, one of which was shot and killed, were in such a frenzy that emergency workers remained in their rig, blowing the horn, as police arrived to see Constantine lying on his back naked or wearing, at the most, only underwear. Some clothing, presumably ripped from Constantine's body, was found near the scene of the attack, one street away from Constantine's home.

The police reports describe the dogs as vicious both during and after the attack.

"As I approached on foot towards the victim and aggressive animals I … was able to take aim on the aggressive pack of dogs who were actively removing large chunks of flesh from the (victim's) limbs. I checked my back drop noticing it was clear and in defense of the victim I (discharged) my firearm numerous times striking all four of my intended targets (dogs)," Officer Adam Sexton wrote.

While the others fled after being shot, one of the dogs dropped to the ground and began barking and yelping while trying to take cover in a large bush.

"I … then (observed) the animal jump up to its feet and advanced at my partner … who in self-defense fired two shots, striking the animal," which then ran away before spotting Sexton and advancing toward him.

"Fearing for my safety and own well being, I … engaged the animal a second time, by discharging my firearm twice striking the animal twice, killing it," Sexton wrote, noting that he fired nine shots in all.

The reports list a grim array of injuries, with arms and legs ripped to the bone and dogs "eating the flesh" off a naked man. A friend, who visited Constantine days later at Detroit Receiving Hospital, said he had lost most of his left arm.

The aggressiveness of the dogs, described as pit bulls and pit bull mixes, also was apparent during one of the 911 calls, where a caller advised a dispatcher that Constantine would need police assistance "unless you want me to shoot them."

Despite the officer descriptions of the attack, Harry Ward, who heads Detroit Animal Control, has said "these were not hungry dogs looking for something to eat. This is a classic case of these dogs being out of control on their owner's property and attacking someone." Ward has said there was commercial dry dog food openly available in their owner's unkempt home, where the dogs fled after police chased them off.

It's unclear what prompted the attack. Police have said the Felton was not home at the time and that the dogs likely escaped through a side door.

The day after the attack, Felton was arrested at his home on a warrant for allegedly failing to pay child support as animal control officers seized 11 dogs, which were later euthanized. He demanded to know, according to the reports, "What are you doing with my dogs?"

But in an expletive-laced voicemail message left for a Free Press reporter this week, a man who did not identify himself claimed that the story was a lie and disputed the number of dogs.

Prior to the attack, neighbors had complained about dogs running loose in the area and chasing people. Police said they responded to previous dog complaints on Pennsylvania but never had a name or address to connect to the dogs.

One of the 911 recordings released to the Free Press was of an incident on Aug. 28 at a house in the 4400 block of Pennsylvania Street. A woman tells a dispatcher that "the dogs from down the street came down here, attacked our dogs."

When the dispatcher asks how many, the woman replies, "It's like 12 of them."

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence