Police shoot pit bull

Deepa Bharath

Police officers Thursday fired 13 rounds at a pit bull, which came

charging at an officer who was chasing two fleeing teenagers in a

residential neighborhood, officials said.

Eight of those bullets hit the dog, killing it instantly, police

said.

The boys had been stopped by a motorcycle officer near the

intersection of Princeton Drive and Fairview Road, said Costa Mesa

Police Lt. John FitzPatrick.

“One of them was riding a bike without wearing a helmet and the

other was riding on the handlebar,” he said.

Just as the officer was writing them citations, the boys took off,

FitzPatrick said.

“The officer pursued them on his motorcycle,” he said. Soon, other

officers backed him up and surrounded the area, FitzPatrick said.

Officers chased the teens through several residential streets and

backyards, he said. They stopped in the 200 block of Bowling Green

Avenue where they saw a boy sitting by the curb, FitzPatrick said.

“We determined he wasn’t one of the teens, but neighbors told us

they were this other boy’s friends and that they had seen the boys

run onto the backyard,” he said.

Officers Eric Wisener and Jeff Graham then went to the backyard to

arrest the teens on suspicion of evading the police, FitzPatrick

said.

“That’s where they saw two pit bulls,” he said. “One of them was

larger and more aggressive and charged at [Wisener] biting him in the

thigh.”

The dog released the officer momentarily, but furiously charged

back the second time, FitzPatrick said.

“This time, both officers drew their weapons, fired simultaneously

and shot the dog,” he said.

Paul, the black pit bull, was taken to the Orange County Humane

Society in Huntington Beach where his body was examined for rabies,

FitzPatrick said.

Wendy Mansfield, owner of the dog, called the incident “a horrible

tragedy.”

“I can’t believe that someone would do this,” she said, breaking

down in tears. “I’m an honest, hardworking citizen who is very

wounded and hurt by this.”

Mansfield declined to comment further referring all questions to

her attorney, Jerry Sterling. Sterling did not return calls Friday.

Mansfield said she would take legal action against the city.

FitzPatrick said it “was an unfortunate incident where the

officers did not have choice.”

“[Wisener] got bitten the first time,” he said. “The officers

reacted only after the dog tried to attack them the second time.”

Officers were justified being in the backyard because “they were

in hot pursuit,” FitzPatrick said.

“These were extenuating circumstances and the officers did have a

right to protect themselves,” he said.

The two teenagers who tried to dodge the tickets were charged with

evading the police and later released to their respective parents,

FitzPatrick said.

Wisener suffered a “slight puncture” to this thigh, but was not

hospitalized, he said.

“All the shell casings were accounted for, there was no damage to

property and no one other than the dog was injured as a result of the

shooting,” he said.

FitzPatrick said he was surprised that more community members

seemed concerned about the dog than the officer.

“I think it’s ironic that no one was concerned about the welfare

of the police officer,” he said.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@ latimes.com.