Police in the Washington state city of Bremerton say a pit bull reported as a menacing dog was just protecting its owner who had suffered a heart attack and died on a sidewalk while the two were out walking.

A detective says the 51-year-old Bremerton woman collapsed late Tuesday. The dog was loose once she fell and was being "protectively aggressive" — not letting neighbors help its owner. No one was bitten.

A policeman flagged down to deal with the dog saw the woman lying on the sidewalk. He shot the dog with a stun gun, then he and a neighbor performed CPR until a rescue crew arrived and also tried unsuccessfully to revive the woman.

The Kitsap Sun reports that when the dog ran home, the woman's roommate came looking for her.

___

Information from: Kitsap Sun, http://www.kitsapsun.com/