Bellevue, Washington



From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer of December 10, 2003

Man shoots, kills dog that charged at family



A man gunned down a pit bull Monday after he said is charged to within a foot of him and his family. The man's family had been repeatedly menaced by the dog, Bellevue police Officer Michael Chiu said.



The shooting occurred in the 1600 block of 171st Avenue Northeast about 6 p.m., after the man's wife and child tried to leave their house and were hemmed in by the dog in the driveway.



When the animal approached them at their vehicle, the mother told her child not to move and used her cell phone to call her husband in the house. They then got inside their van.



The husband came out and the dog charged him. The man jumped in his pickup and retrieved his handgun, Chiu said. The man left the pickup and approached his wife's van. The family had tried to return to the house when the dog charged back at them from across the street.



That's when the man shot the dog, which died in the street.



No charges have been filed in the dog's death. "It appears to be self-defense," Chiu said.



Police had warned the dog's owner hours earlier because of complaints from other neighbors.