A man was mauled by a pit bull as he tried to protect his wife and child from the canine. The incident took place in Laredo, Texas, on Sunday night.

In a news release Monday, the Laredo Police Department said officers responded to the scene after receiving reports of a dog attacking a man. The responding officers “found a man being violently attacked by a pit bull. The dog had a hold of the victim’s chest. The victim was already badly injured and was in great harm.”

One of the officers then took out his service weapon and shot dead the canine. The unidentified victim was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was treated for the dog bites.

According to the news release, “Preliminary reports show that the dog became loose and at some point the animal turned violent and attacked the victim. The victim was alone with his wife and small child and feared that the dog would attack his family. The couple ended up at the front door fighting to keep the dog from going inside the house.”

The man and his wife reportedly told the officers that shooting the canine was necessary. Information regarding the owner of the pit bull was not known. It was also not known if the owner will be charged. Meanwhile, police said the investigation into the incident was ongoing.

“An internal investigation has been initiated surrounding the use of force as per procedure in this type of incident,” police said. The condition of the victim was not known.

The incident comes a month after a teen was fatally mauled by three dogs while trespassing in a backyard in Texas. Police responded to the scene after getting reports of a possible dog attack. The responding officers saw three pit bulls mauling the 16-year-old boy. One of the officers immediately jumped the fence to protect the victim. Meanwhile, another officer shot one of the canines after it charged at him. The boy was rushed to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to injuries. While the dog that was shot by the officer was put down, the other two canines were taken to an animal shelter.