Police shoot pit bull

Claire Herrera was worried after she heard some commotion next door to walk outside and find her neighbor, Patrick Lawrence, nearly passed out on her back steps.

“He’s holding his head, he’s hyperventilating,” Herrera said. “I went into the house and called 911 and was simply calling for a medic.”

But Colorado Springs Police arrived next door first.

This is what happened next according to the incident report filed by officers:

“On 08/31/14 at approximately 1225 hours, Officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department’s Gold Hill Division were dispatched to a residence in the 800 block of E. Cimarron St. to investigate a possible disturbance. Upon arrival, officers were walking up to the residence’s rear facing door. While doing so a large pit bull aggressively and quickly ran from the house and towards the officers. Noting the dog’s aggressive behavior and stance, one of the officers fired several rounds at the animal as it continued approaching them. One of these rounds struck the dog in the rear leg, causing the dog to briefly end its advance and flee towards the house. Officers were then able to retreat and while doing so the dog again began aggressively and quickly approaching the officers. Prior to being forced to discharge their weapon again, the officers were able to close and hold the gate shut until the dog’s owner, Patrick Lawrence (a 49 year-old resident of Colorado Springs), was able to contain the animal in a dog crate. During the subsequent investigation, officers were unable to develop probable cause to arrest anyone for the original disturbance call for service but Mr. Lawrence was arrested for possessing a dangerous animal.”

Lawrence says the only fact he agrees with in the report was that his dog was wounded.

“If the dog was aggressively trying to get at him, why’s the dog shot in the butt?” Lawrence asked.

Lawrence believes this was a case of a dog protecting its territory.

“That’s how he do man because he protective, that’s all,” Lawrence said.

But another neighbor says the dog is dangerous…and has the scar to prove it.

“Nine stitches,” Jay Swartz said as he pulled up his sleeve to show the scar he says is from an attack last April.

“He got me good. Jumped up and latched onto the back of my arm,” Swartz said.

Swartz though never pressed charges but says he understands why police fired their weapons.

“If I would have had a gun on me that day, I would have shot it,” Swartz said.

Lawrence has a mandatory court appearance later this month for owning a “dangerous animal,” where a judge will decide if the dog is indeed too dangerous…even for its own yard.

“It’s ridiculous man,” Lawrence said. “I gotta go to court for the police entering my property.”