German shepherd bites teen, 3 police officers in Old Town Bluffton. What we know
An on-the-loose German shepherd bit a teenager and the three police officers who tried to corral her in Old Town Bluffton on Monday, according to police reports.
A family was admiring the chicken coop behind Cahill’s Market & Chicken Kitchen where they were visiting for dinner when the dog approached, bit the 15-year-old on the lower left leg, and ran away, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office report.
Two Bluffton police officers responded to the scene and were also bitten by the dog, according to the report. Those officers did not seek medical attention, the report said.
By the time two Beaufort County Sheriff Office deputies arrived, the year-old female German shepherd was still running free, and its owner was on the scene.
The owner “appeared to have no control over his dog and was putting minimal effort in an attempt to apprehend it,” another Sheriff’s Office report said.
The dog ran back to the owner’s home on Haigler Boulevard, where a Beaufort County Animal Control officer was waiting.
Outside the home, the German shepherd charged one of the deputies, biting and scratching his leg, according to the report.
“I feared for my safety and drew my duty pistol,” the county deputy wrote after the dog lunged at him. He said he did not fire, however, because there were a number of people on the scene. EMS treated the deputy’s wounds.
After two hours, the report said the dog was confined to the owner’s home and later seized by Animal Control. Two attempts to reach Animal Control officials were not successful.
The owner was issued a citation for permitting an animal to run at-large.
