At around noon Monday, Nov. 19, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Fifth District officers responded to a call in the 1700 Block of H St NE reporting a dog attacking a citizen.

When the officer arrived on the scene, he was told that a man inside the home was being mauled by the family dog. When the officer went inside, the man was actively being mauled by the dog, a pitbull owned by a friend of his mother.

The officer used his Electronic Control Device (TASER) on the dog in an attempt to halt the attack on the victim. The first Taser deployment made the dog retreat, but it attempted a second attack on the victim, and the officer deployed the taser a second time. The second use caused the dog to retreat into a bedroom, where he was barricaded until additional assistance arrived.

The victim was treated at an area hospital for serious injuries to the torso and arm sustained in the attack. Witnesses could not provide a motive for the dog’s behavior.

Custody of the dog was transferred to Animal Control.