Stray Dog Terrorizing Hialeah Neighborhood Bites Officer

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HIALEAH (CBSMiami) -- An aggressive dog that terrorized a Hialeah neighborhood for the past month was put down after it bit a police officer who was forced to shoot it.

Police were called out twice to the neighborhood Thursday after complaints that the stray American bulldog was acting aggressively toward residents and chasing them.

Witness Fany Garcia said the dog bit the officer's leg, before he pulled out his gun and fired his weapon.

"I saw police through the fence and the dog was biting his leg," she said. "He had to defend himself. He pulled out his gun and shot him four times."

It happened on the second visit officers made to the neighborhood at East 3rd Avenue and 16th Street. The day's first complaint came from a jogger.

"I heard a man was running and the dog tried to get him and he had to run and he goes in his car," Garcia explained.

The second complaint came from a tow truck driver.

"The second time out here, when the officers arrived at the scene, the officer shot at him to protect himself and he runs away. He runs into the front yard of a house," said Hialeah Police Lt. Carl Zogby. "This was an aggressive dog on the sidewalk. He was a threat to the people around him."

The dog was taken to an animal hospital but had to later be euthanized. Police said they had received nuisance calls about the stray before.

"This was a vicious dog on the block and everyone was scared of him," Garcia added. "My kids, I don't let them outside to play because the dog was always barking and barking and running at them."

Yohanel Lantigua carried a baseball bat because the dog had chased him before.

"He comes after me and started running at me, and he hits me in the back," he recounted.

The dog began scaring the neighborhood about a month ago.

"I feel bad for the dog but I feel relief because now we can go out and do garbage and do normal things again," said Garcia.

Police have located the man who used to feed the dog, however, he wasn't its owner. No one has claimed the dog.

Other than some bite marks, the officer is said to be okay.