LA County deputy shoots dog while arresting grand theft suspect at park

A Los Angeles County deputy shot a dog that attacked him while he was arresting a grand theft suspect in a Sunland park on Thursday.

The LA County Sheriff's Department said deputies spotted the suspect near the Sunland Park Recreation Center in the 8100 block of Foothill Boulevard at about 4 p.m. 

The suspect tried to get away by running into the park, but deputies quickly caught up and apprehended the woman. While they were arresting her, the woman's dog attacked the deputies and attempted to bite them. One deputy tried to use a taser to get the dog to stop, but to no avail. 

The sheriff's department said the deputy shot the pit bull after it continued to attack. The dog was taken to a local veterinary hospital for treatment. 

"This is an unfortunate incident, and I applaud the deputies for their extraordinary efforts to de-escalate the situation with the animal before resorting to potentially lethal force," Capt. Ryan Vienna said. "Thank you to the Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments for their response and assistance to our personnel during this incident."  

Deputies encouraged anyone who witnessed the shooting to contact Detective Salvador Ponce at (818) 248-3464.