Police shot and killed a pit bull that was attacking a 2-year-old child in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Taquiesha Johnson and her daughter Zakyria were walking to a store Tuesday night along Joseph E. Boone Boulevard when the mother says a pit bull went after them.
"When the dog came out of nowhere – gray pit bull – came and take my child," said Johnson.
Johnson's motherly instincts kicked in and she did what she could to fend off the animal.
"Kicking, punching -- everything. Everything I could possibly to do to get that dog off me and my child," said Johnson.
A police officer who was in the area on an unrelated call arrived, right as Johnson managed to free her and the toddler from the dog. The officer opened fire at the dog, shooting the dog multiple times. The dog died at the scene.
"This was a good shoot. The dog was actually attacking the woman and the officer kept the woman and the child from further injury," said Officer John Chaffee of the Atlanta Police Department.
The mother and child suffered minor injuries.
"The dog scratched her all in the mouth, her nose and on her face and really tried to bite her on her thigh, tried to get a grip on her thigh. And me, basically scratches on my leg from where I fell on the ground," said Johnson.
Johnson knows the outcome could have been much worse.
"I was scared. But at the same time I didn't want the dog to bite my child. I was scared," said Johnson.
Some neighbors said violent strays are rare in the area, others said they've called animal control about this particular attacking dog. They also said that despite efforts to distract the animal and get it away from little Zakyria, it wouldn't have calmed down.
"I'm a person that loves animals, and as I was driving later, I was wondering if it could have been avoided but no it couldn't have, because I think he was gonna attack me, there were other people around. Everyone was terrified," said Frances Salett, a neighbor.
Those neighbors and police say they shudder to think what would have happened if the officer responding to another call nearby hadn't stopped.
"It certainly was a dangerous situation - this was a pit bull and a 2-year-old child, and the dog was clearly intent on attacking the child," said Chaffee.
"I think he's a hero. I'm glad that he did it because there's no telling what could have happened to that little girl" said Charles Atkinson.
The shooting is under routine investigation. Police say they don't know who, if anyone, the dog belonged to, and think it could have been a stray.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 11:19 PM EDT2013-06-20 03:19:10 GMT
A police officer, a deputy and a nurse are being called heroes for saving an elderly man's life.
A police officer, a deputy and a nurse are being called heroes for saving an elderly man's life. The man had a medical emergency and the three first-responders were in the right place at the right time.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 10:27 PM EDT2013-06-20 02:27:20 GMT
Georgia's right to life group is in a dispute with the national pro-lifers.
Georgia's right to life group is in a dispute with the national pro-lifers. The Georgia group has campaigned against a new far-reaching House bill on abortion because it says that the bill doesn't save enough lives.
A 2-year-old and her mother are recovering after a terrifying dog attack on Tuesday. The mother fended off the dog until a police officer killed it.
