LOCKPORT — The Woodward Township officer who shot and killed a dog in the municipality acted “reasonably under the circumstances” according to District Attorney Dave Strouse’s workplace.
Strouse revealed Friday that his workplace evaluated the June 23, 2023 event on Coudersport Pike, in Woodward Township.
As an outcome of that evaluation, Strouse identified that the reacting policeman “acted reasonably and was justified in using force to prevent serious bodily injury to himself or other nearby civilians.”
According to a release through Crimewatch, Strouse referred the matter to the Clinton and Centre County Dog Law Warden for more examination and prospective criminal charges, as the subject animals have actually been shown to be “Dangerous Dogs” pursuant to Pennsylvania Law.
The managers of Woodward Township are holding an unique conference on Monday, July 24 at 6 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 86 Riverside Terrace, Lock Haven, to examine Strouse’s decision with regard to the event on Coudersport Pike.
Strouse’s workplace launched the following report concerning the event and subsequent:
“At approximately 7:15 p.m. on June 23, 2023, Woodward Township Police responded to two separate citizen complaints of two loose dogs, a pitbull and a German shepherd. One of the complainants informed police that the dogs were an “ongoing problem” and were really aggressive and had actually assaulted somebody in the location formerly.
“Another complainant called 911 and reported that the 2 dogs were being aggressive which the plaintiff was presently in belongings of a gun and planned to shoot the dogs if they followed the caller’s animals once again.
“DA Strouse had the ability to examine the video footage of the event. The electronic camera video footage plainly reveals cops reaching the area of the problems and observing the 2 dogs running backward and forward throughout numerous residential or commercial properties and the road. The officer left his vehicle and tried to manage traffic so regarding avoid the animals from being struck by vehicle drivers.
“The officer got in touch with the SPCA to ask for a dog warden or gentle officer, however there was none available at that time.
“The officer then contacted Lock Haven City Police to request assistance, and to bring a dog “catch pole” to help in getting the dogs under control. The officer tried to reach the citizen of your house, however there was no action in spite of duplicated efforts at the door. “While beyond his police car, the 2 dogs are observed charging at the officer on numerous events.
“Each time the dogs charged, the officer pulled back, shouted loudly and kicked his legs in an effort to prevent an attack. After the dogs charged the officer 3 times, the pitbull continued to pursue the officer as he ran away the complete length of his police car.
“As the pitbull approached a number of feet from the officer and continued to pursue him, the officer fired a single shot, striking the pitbull. As an outcome of that shot, the pitbull disengaged the attack and fled throughout the road into neighboring brush.
“The German shepherd did not reengage the police officer.”
According to the release from Strouse’s workplace, 6 days prior to this event on June 17, 2023, Woodward Township Policeresponded to a previous event including the very same dogs in the location of Wagner Lane, Woodward Township. On that date, the dogs were once again loose and went into onto the property of a next-door neighbor, the release said.
The pitbull was reported to have actually presumably charged at the next-door neighbor consistently in the effort to bite the next-door neighbor, who combated the dog off with a stick and got away back into their home, cops said.
Further examination revealed that the dogs’ owners, who are present locals at a home on the 2600 block of Coudersport Pike, had actually formerly been pointed out for failure to restrict the animals in July of 2022 when they lived in Centre County, according to Strouse’s workplace.
Contact with regional SPCA authorities and the Dog Law Warden validated that the pitbull, particularly, was aggressive and had actually formerly bit a Pennsylvania State Trooper in July of 2022 in Centre County, when the dogs and owners lived because county, the report said.
In December of 2022, a staff member of a business in Porter Township, Clinton County, was presumably assaulted by the pitbull beyond an oral workplace. The owners of the dog were residing in an upstairs home at the time, the report said.
“On that occasion, the female owner of the pitbull had watched the dog lunge at and bite the victim, resulting in a significant injury that required medical attention,” the report said.
After the attack, the owner was presumably heard informing the victim, “oh you probably frightened it,” the release said.
Strouse said he had the ability to verify that the dogs’ owners had a substantial history of failure to control dogs.
“The dogs purported owners had been cited for failure to control/loose dogs on at least seven (7) prior occasions,” Strouse said.
As an outcome of that evaluation, the examination has actually been described the Dog Law Warden to think about and submit proper charges “as the animals have been clearly demonstrated to be Dangerous Dogs pursuant Chapter 27 of the Pennsylvania Dog Law,” the release said.
