What to Know
- An officer in a New Jersey town shot a homeless man’s dog Wednesday morning after the dog attacked him during a welfare check, police say
- Linden police approached the man who was allegedly living in a make-shift shelter with four dogs when the dogs attacked an officer
- The dogs were taken by the ASPCA Humane Society for evaluation and treatment
An officer in a New Jersey town shot a homeless man’s dog Wednesday morning after the dog attacked the officer during a welfare check, authorities say.
Linden police approached the man who was allegedly living in a make-shift shelter with four dogs when one of the officers was attacked by the dogs.
The officer fired two shots in self-defense, injuring one of the dogs, according to police.
The officer was treated for a dog bite at Trinitas Regional Medical Center and released. The dogs were taken by the ASPCA Humane Society for evaluation and treatment, police say.
According to authorities, the homeless man was removed from the scene and was referred to an assistance program.
The shooting is being investigated by the Linden Police Department Internal Affairs Unit under the state attorney general's guidelines.
