Pit Bull Viciously Mauls 2 People, Police Officer Shoots Dog

A police officer in Baltimore shot and killed a pit bull after the dog mauled a 60-year-old man, authorities said Tuesday. The dog attacked two people in the 600 block of Maude Avenue in south Baltimore.

The victims were taken to Shock Trauma with injuries that were serious but not life-threatening, police said. The officer at the scene who shot the pit bull said he saw the canine aggressively attack the man. Baltimore police Detective Donny Moses said: "He was all over him."

"The officer discharged his weapon, struck the dog. It died a short time later," Moses said, adding that while trying to help the man with his injuries, the officer found out about another victim.

"What we learned is the initial attack happened inside a home on Maude Avenue with a 43-year-old woman being attacked by this pit bull. The neighbor, a 60-year-old man, heard the commotion and tried to help. The dog turned his attention to the man," Moses said.

"Both victims sustained serious injuries. The female was injured all about her hands, more defensive wounds, but if you can imagine you have a pit bull attacking, they leave damage. The male, he was bit all over his forearms and his left shin," the officer added, according to local media.

Police said it was unclear why the dog attacked the two people. Detectives and members of a special investigative response team were investigating the incident.

Pit bulls are a ferocious breed of dogs and have been often associated with unprovoked attacks. However, many of the cases have involved them attacking children. Last month, three pit bulls attacked a three-year-old boy at his uncle's house in Norphlet, Arkansas. The child suffered serious injuries to his abdomen and head.