Man Who Shot Pit Bulls To Save Boy May Now Face Gun Charges
A Washington D.C. man shot three pit bulls to save a little boy’s life. Due to the capitol’s extremely strict gun laws, the good deed may not go unpunished. Since the gun owner neighbor may have fired the weapon outside of his property line, he might have committed a crime.
The unnamed 11-year-old child was riding his new bicycle around his neighborhood when he encountered the trio of unleashed pit bulls. The scene quickly turned violent when the reportedly unattended pit bulls attacked, Business Insider notes.
The neighbor, also unnamed, saw the little boy getting mauled by the pit bulls and shot one of the animals with his handgun. A nearby Washington D.C. police officer heard the gun shots and ran to help. The shot and killed the other two dogs, the Washington Post reports.
The little boy was reportedly bitten in his arms, legs, and chest by the three pit bulls. Because the potentially life-saving neighbor fired his gun from the street, he could face up to one year in prison. A $1,000 fine could also be levied against the gun owner.
A Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson stated that an investigation into the animal shooting is still ongoing. A determination about charging the man who shot the dog to save the little boy has not yet been made.
The pit bulls’ owner was reportedly cited for menacing people and failure to leash his dogs. He reportedly must pay $175 in fines. The boy had to undergo surgery and remains in the hospital.
The unnamed boy’s uncle had this to say about the Washington D.C. pit bull attack:
“The injuries are terrible. This boy is traumatized. He told me doesn’t want to go outside anymore. He’s too scared.”
The uncle also noted that he saw the pit bulls biting his nephew’s body when the neighbor and police officer fired on the dogs.
Do you think the pit bull owner deserves a stiffer penalty for the dog attack? Should the gun owner neighbor be charged with a crime or offered a pat on the back for his actions?
