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Police say the incident began shortly before 7 p.m. on Wiggins Private, near Mann Avenue and Chapel Street, when the dog slipped off its leash and attacked a man holding a child.

“The dog jumped at the man, who moved to act as a shield for the child,” said Staff-Sgt. Frank D’Aoust.

The man was bitten on the buttocks and the hand, and the baby fell to the ground, police say.

A constable on patrol came upon the scene and “noticing the dog turn towards the boy, attempted to distract the dog and placed himself in between the dog and the victim” police said in a statement.

Police said the dog’s apparent owner tried to collar the animal but was unsuccessful.

The dog made a movement toward the child on the ground and the officer fired four times, hitting the dog with each shot, according to police.

The man did not appear to be seriously injured but was taken to the Civic campus of the Ottawa Hospital for treatment.

The baby boy suffered a bruise to his forehead from the fall.

Stevens said Lance had been cooped up all day in her family’s home in the 200 block of Wiggins Private. Stevens home is across the street from a basketball court which has a large communal area where Lance would go for walks.

The area was busy Friday night, with between 25 and 30 people there, according to witnesses.

When Stevens opened the door, Lance bolted toward the park. The dog was too big for her to hold back, weighing well more than 100 pounds. It ran toward the people and, according to Stevens, that’s when one man in particular began to scream.