Pit Bull Shot, Killed After Attacking OKC Officer

Monday, May 21st 2018, 5:08 pm

By: News 9

An Oklahoma City police officer is recovering after being attacked by a pit bull on Sunday. The officer was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening wounds and treated and released.

The dog’s owner said her three-year-old pit bull named Thor was not vicious.

Early Sunday morning, neighbors heard gunshots at a home near Southwest 20th and Barnes Ave.

‘We came out and there was a lot of firefighters and the ambulance,” said Trinidad Oviedo, neighbor. “But we didn’t know exactly what had happened.”

She now knows officers shot and killed her neighbor's dog.

“The officer had to do what he had to do,” said Oviedo.

Police initially responded to the home to break up a disagreement between a married couple. The report indicates one of the responding officers knew the couple owned a large pit bull. He warned the owners to not let the dog out, and that officers would not go inside the home with it lose.

Police said the dog ran out the front door, charged at Officer Trevor Wauters, knocking him to the ground and attacking his left leg.

“Other officers at the scene had to open fire on the dog,” said Msgt. Gary Knight, Oklahoma City Police Department. “To get the dog off of the officer.”

They fired several rounds at the pit bull.

The report states the dog ran to the west side of the yard and continued to struggle and fight to get back up. That's when one of the officers fired his weapon until the dog was no longer a threat.

“It’s a sad fact,” said Knight. “Sometimes we do have to shoot an animal that is attacking.”

The owner is now grieving the loss of her beloved pet. She said Thor never left the yard and must have seen the officer as a threat.

Police have been called to the home a number of times for domestic disturbances, but never because of the dog. Police said the woman’s husband was arrested Sunday on a warrant.