Dog Attacks 11-Year-Old Boy, Off-Duty Cop Fires Shot To Save Child

An 11-year-old boy was severely injured after being mauled by a dog in Boston on Wednesday.

An off-duty police officer who heard the screams rushed to the scene and rescued the boy who was attacked by a pit bull. The boy suffered serious injuries to his neck, arm and groin after the dog attacked him in the backyard of an apartment building in Dorchester at around 12.09 p.m. EST.

The officer jumped a couple of fences to reach the backyard. He then fired a department-issued gun as the dog continued to attack, reported local news outlet WCVB. It is not clear if the dog was hit when the officer fired the gun.

“Fearing for the child's safety, the officer discharged his firearm, halting the attack,” Boston Police Commissioner William Gross said.

The boy was rushed to hospital, where he had to undergo a surgery. The unidentified officer was also taken to the hospital as a precaution and for observation.

“Thank god the officer was there to intervene. If he didn’t, the dog was going to continue to attack this child. There was also another pit bull being restrained by an individual that I’m confident would have joined in the attack,” Gross said, reported news outlet CBS Local.

The animal control removed the two dogs from the home. The shooting will be investigated by Boston police Firearms Discharge Investigative Team. The police have not yet filed any charges.

The Boston police have previously responded to several complaints about unleashed dogs at the home where the attack happened. The relationship between the child and the dog owner is also not revealed.

The family of the victim expressed their gratitude to the officer for timely intervention.

“The family is grateful for the police hero who rescued our son,” they said in a statement issued Wednesday night.

“My heart goes out to the young boy injured in this incredibly sad and tragic event this afternoon. I wish him and his family a speedy recovery, and I ask everyone to keep him in your prayers,” Mayor Marty Walsh said.

In a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on analysis of dog breeds involved in fatal attacks, the pit bull was identified as the breed involved in the maximum number of incidents. The study found out that between 1979 and 1996, the pit bull was way ahead with around 60 incidents compared to 29 incidents involving Rottweilers and 19 involving German shepherds.