An L.A. County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a pit bull that was attacking a man in Lancaster on Monday morning, authorities said.
Deputies received a 911 call regarding a dog attack in the 43200 block of 20th Street West at 9:53 a.m. Upon arrival, they saw a pit bull “actively and viciously” attacking a man who was lying in the front yard of a home.
The man appeared unresponsive and the yard was fenced, with a locked gate.
A deputy attempted to stop the attack using verbal commands, the department said, but the dog paid no heed. The deputy then opened fire and struck the animal, immediately stopping the attack.
The dog was pronounced dead, and the man who was attacked was transported to a local hospital, where he was listed as stable Monday evening, authorities said.
Deputies later learned that the pit bull was owned by a family member who lived with the victim, the department said. They are still investigating the cause of the attack. L.A. County Animal Control also responded and took custody of the dead dog.
Lancaster Station Capt. Paul Bartlett praised the bravery and decisive action of the responding deputies.
“When our deputies arrived, they encountered a life-threatening emergency and acted without hesitation to save a man’s life,” Bartlett said in a statement. “After stopping the attack, they immediately transitioned from addressing the threat to providing lifesaving medical care until firefighters arrived.”
Last July, a man was fatally attacked by a pair of pit bulls in a backyard attack in Lancaster. In that incident a deputy also shot an killed a pit bull to allow paramedics to access the victim, who later succumbed to his injuries in a hospital.
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