ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Oct. 7 UPDATE:
Two people have been charged following the dog attack that occurred in Glenvar on Friday, Roanoke County Police said. The victim is currently in stable condition.
RCP said 37-year-old Tiffany Turner was arrested in connection with the attack on the following charges:
- One felony count of an animal attack resulting from owner’s disregard for human life
- Two counts of permitting a dog at large
- Two counts of harboring a nuisance animal
The neighbor who shot his firearm during the attack in an attempt to scare the dog off was also charged following the incident:
- Possession of a firearm by felon
- Misdemeanor reckless handling of a firearm
ORIGINAL STORY:
A dog was shot and killed after it attacked a woman walking her dog in Roanoke County on Friday, Roanoke County Police Department said.
Roanoke County’s public information officer said a woman was walking her dog in Roanoke County on Friday when another dog ran towards her and started attacking. A neighbor contacted police and attempted to scare the dog off by discharging a firearm into the air.
“I mean they had a pit bull out in the yard, no fence or anything like that, and this poor elderly woman’s just walking down the street minding her business, and the dog just went at her and started attacking her,” said neighbor Jonathan Ayers, a neighbor who caught the incident on his Ring camera.
Authorities said upon arrival, officers attempted to taze the dog, which momentarily scared it off. While authorities were helping the woman, the dog returned and attempted to attack again. As a result, an officer shot and killed the dog, ending the incident.
“It made me sick to my stomach, it gave me chills. I mean, it’s very random, it just happened like, and it happened so fast," Ayers said. “This poor woman’s on the ground screaming, and it almost sounds like an animal that’s wounded because it’s just so primal.”
RCPD said the woman was taken to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Authorities said the man who fired the gun into the air was also arrested for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The owner of the dog has been contacted, and charges are pending.
We will update you with more information as it becomes available.