PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia police officer is under investigation after officials say the cop shot and killed a dog who was mauling a man Wednesday morning in the city’s Mantua neighborhood.
Police say the attack happened near Fairmount Avenue and Union Street in Mantua around 10:15 a.m. Video circulating on social media shows the dogs repeatedly attacking a 53-year-old man.
In the video, the man kept trying to get up and get away, but a Cane Corso and three pit bulls continued to attack him and others who tried to intervene.
According to authorities, one witness flagged down a cop driving nearby for help after seeing the dogs maul the man. They say the officer tried to distract the dogs with his siren, but they continued their attack. Eventually the cop got out of his car and fired several times, killing the Cane Corso. The other dogs ran away.
The mauling victim was taken to a nearby hospital with several bite wounds throughout his entire body. He was listed in stable condition and is expected to survive.
Police say the officer was wearing a body-worn camera but did not have it activated. He is now on desk duty, pending the outcome of the investigation.