PEORIA — Police shot and killed a pit bull, one of four that were running amok in South Peoria and attacked at least two people Thursday morning.

Three people were attacked and one was taken to the hospital to be treated for non life-threatening injuries. Another person refused treatment and a third person was attacked but not bitten, police said.

The other three dogs were captured by Peoria County Animal Protection Services.

The dogs had been running in and around the intersection of Livingston and Hayes as well as the 1400 block of South Arago Street, said police spokeswoman Amy Dotson. Officers frantically chased the dogs to prevent serious injury.

"They're vicious," she said. "The concern is, it's morning, and kids are trying to get to school."

Police activated the CodeRED, which is a mass notification system used to notify the public of missing persons, severe weather or dangerous situations such as police or fire emergencies. The idea was to warn people to stay inside until the situation was safe for people to come out. The coast was deemed clear within about 30 minutes.

Deja McDonald, who lives in the 1400 block of South Arago Street, said that she was the owner of 10-month-old Queen, the pit bull shot and killed by police. She said her dog lived with three other pit bulls in the home of a relative who also lives on that block. On previous instances, she said, the four dogs had jumped the fence that surrounds that fence. They had chased people but never bitten anyone.

"They'd never been a problem," said McDonald, 25. "Yeah, they scare people because they're big dogs. But they never did anything to anyone. They just barked."

She returned home in her car just as Thursday morning's chaos exploded. She saw her dog and another of the pit-bull quartet dash to the southeast corner of South Arago and West Humboldt streets, where a stout Rotweiller stood inside a fence.

The pit bulls barked toward the fence, as if trying to get at the Rotweiller, said Robert Lawson, 13, who lives nearby. Meantime, he said, small children were screaming and running away.

Soon, several Peoria police cars pulled up to the scene, as did two PCAPS vehicles. Police officers dashed after the pit bulls, which apparently were roaming in packs of two.

Two headed south, along an alley behind the 1500 block of South Westmoreland Avenue. There, they darted into a backyard owned by Richard Test, 70, whose driveway connects to the alley.

That time of day, Test always drives to pick up a cup of coffee, usually taking with his chihuahua, Dolly. However, Thursday morning, he left Dolly inside so the pooch could rest up for a birthday party later that day for Test's great-grandson.

"Thank goodness, or those dogs would've gotten her," Test. "She would've tried to bite them, and they would've got her."

Instead, as Test neared his car with an electricity bill in his hand, the two pit bulls rushed him, with one nipping his right shin. In an attempt to shoo them off, he repeatedly yelled, "No!" When that did not work, and with nothing else with which to defend himself, Test started shaking the electricity bill at them. For whatever reason, perhaps the arm motion or the crinkling sound, the dogs retreated and ran off.

"I fought them off with a CILCO bill," Test said with a smile. "It was the first time in my life I was glad to have a CILCO bill."

He lauded officers' quick work in getting the pit bulls under control.

"I'm damn proud of the Peoria Police Department," said Test, who has lived on the same block for almost 40 years. "They did such a good job. It was such a critical time, with all those kids going to school.

"It could've been so much worse."

PHIL LUCIANO is a Journal Star columnist. He can be reached at pluciano@pjstar.com, facebook.com/philluciano and (309) 686-3155. Follow him on Twitter.com/LucianoPhil. Andy Kravetz contributed to this story.