It's unfortunate and I would be inconsolable if it happened to one of my dogs but what is the officer to do when a dog charges at him?
How long would you wait before pulling your gun and shooting?
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I don't know all the circumstances but I agree. We have the right to bear arms not to let our animals run loose. It does not matter to me if it was a false alarm, what matters is if there was a legitimate reason for the dog to be at large. I have lost livestock to dogs at large, I do not hesitate to shoot them, especially if they are charging my family, myself, or my livestock. To be honest I fear a dog at large attack much more then a attack from a criminal while walking. At my age 57 I have had many many aggressive dog incidents, while only a couple criminal attempts while a civilian.
Dog bite statistics
An estimated 4.7 million dog bites occur in the U.S. each year2,3
Nearly 800,000 dog bites require medical care2
Approximately 92% of fatal dog attacks involved male dogs, 94% of which were not neutered1
Approximately 25% of fatal dog attacks involved chained dogs1
Approximately 71% of bites occur to the extremities (arms, legs, hands, feet)2
Approximately two-thirds of bites occurred on or near the victim’s property, and most victims knew the dog
The insurance industry pays more than $1 billion in dog-bite claims each year3
At least 25 different breeds of dogs have been involved in the 238 dog-bite-related fatalities in the U.S.4
Approximately 24% of human deaths involved unrestrained dogs off of their owners’ property4
Approximately 58% of human deaths involved unrestrained dogs on their owners’ property4
http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/stop-animal-abuse/fact-sheets/dog-bites.html