This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A Tooele police officer shot and killed a dog that bit his hand while he was investigating a domestic disturbance.
On Friday morning, a neighbor had reported the dispute, telling dispatch that it "sounded as if a male and female were 'going to kill each other,' " according to a Tooele Police Department news release.
The officer arrived at the home near 200 E. Broadway Street, where he heard a woman screaming from the back of the home.
"It is common procedure for more than one officer to respond to this type of call; however, fearing the circumstances were too urgent, the officer did not wait for backup and entered the backyard of the residence through an open gate," according to the news release.
There, the officer saw a woman on the back porch, still screaming. The officer called out to her, but a large dog that was in the backyard attacked him without warning, biting his hand, the release adds.
The officer shot the dog twice, killing it. Police have yet to release the dog's breed.
The officer was treated at a local hospital and released. His body camera was on during the incident, and the department expects to release that footage as soon as possible.
Neither the man or woman involved in the disturbance were treated for injuries, nor was anyone arrested, Officer Tanya Turnbow said. However, the police are forwarding charges related to the disturbance to the city attorney's office for review.
The incident is still under investigation.
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