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Pit bull killed by deputy

By Elaine Goodman

egoodman@tahoedailytribune.com

One man was arrested for allegedly displaying a knife, and a deputy shot and killed a pit bull during a fracas in front of the Value Inn on Saturday afternoon, authorities said.



Police responded at about 2 p.m. to a report of a fight in the courtyard of the motel at 2659 Lake Tahoe Blvd.

Three or four people were fighting and a crowd had gathered to watch, said South Lake Tahoe Police Sgt. Jeff Reagan. Several police cars and an El Dorado County Sheriff’s K-9 unit arrived.



The deputy left the dog in the patrol vehicle, but lowered the window in order to summon the canine if needed. While the deputy was helping to handle the fight, a pit bull charged the vehicle and attacked the patrol dog, jumping onto the vehicle and biting the patrol dog’s neck, according to a press release from the sheriff’s office.

The deputy fired three shots at the pit bull, and the animal died at the scene, according to the statement. The case will be referred to the district attorney’s office to decide whether the pit bull owner will face charges. The patrol dog suffered minor injuries and is expected to fully recover.

Also in Saturday’s incident, police arrested Douglas Johnson, 40, of South Lake Tahoe, on suspicion of resisting an officer, drug possession and exhibiting a deadly weapon, which police described as a razor knife.


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