DETROIT, MICHIGAN — An armed citizen with nothing but good intentions was trying to stop a vicious dog attack on a woman in his neighborhood. While trying to save the woman, the man shot her while trying to stop the dog.
Local media reports;
Police said the woman was dragged into the street by the dog, which neighbors described as a stray of no specific breed. She was crying for help when a friend of hers who lives nearby heard her.
“Our resident, seeing this — he’s a CPL holder — came out of his home and engaged the dog,” Detroit police Capt. Darin Szilagy said. “He fired an unknown number of shots to try to stop the attack. Unfortunately, during that action, the woman was struck.”
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
The dog, who is believed to have been injured, has not yet been located.
This is a tragic story of how things can go wrong when a firearm is introduced into a scenario. This man, with good intentions, wound up taking a life that he was trying his best to save.
What can we learn from this incident?
In situations like this, such as a woman and attacking dog in close proximity, it’s essential to make sure that a clear shot is had. If it’s not, the situation gets much more difficult. As a once in a lifetime event with so many variables, it’s tough to make the proper decision at the time. Firing a shot into the ground near the attack could be enough to catch the dog off guard long enough for the woman to escape, but it’s an unknown just like anything else.
I can’t say for sure, but I’d see myself doing the following:
- Running up to the attack and yelling loudly to try and distract the dog
- If that didn’t work, try to kick the dog off of the woman
- If that also didn’t work, the dog probably has a grip on the woman and I would try to get as close as possible to the dog to fire a shot that was as far away from the woman as possible
Again, it’s impossible to determine what would have worked and what wouldn’t have worked. To be in this man’s shoes is an impossible feat, as I imagine he is in a great deal of distress over what happened.
In the end, certain situations are impossible to control, and our hearts go out to the woman who was killed, and the man who is unintentionally responsible.
Share your thoughts below.
