A terrifying scene unfolded Saturday evening in High Springs, Florida, when a family dog turned on a 71-year-old resident, leading to a critical rescue by local law enforcement. It happened around 7:00 p.m. on January 24, when deputies from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office rushed to the home after getting a call about an active attack.
When the first deputy pulled up just minutes later, he found a chaotic situation. The dog was actively mauling the victim. The victim’s adult daughter, who owned the dog, had already tried to step in and stop it, but she ended up with minor injuries after the dog bit her as well.
Seeing the danger, the deputy jumped in and tried to physically pull the animal off the victim. That is when the dog turned on the deputy and began biting him.
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With the attack continuing and the deputy now under fire, he was forced to use his service weapon. He shot the dog to stop the biting.
The dog died from the gunshot wound, but the action ended the attack instantly. The deputy, despite being bitten himself, immediately started first aid on the 71-year-old victim, who was losing a lot of blood, investigators say.
Deputies on the scene applied multiple tourniquets to stop the bleeding until paramedics from Alachua County Fire Rescue could take over.
To ensure the ambulance could reach the trauma center at UF Health Shands as quickly as possible, officers from High Springs, Alachua, and Gainesville worked together to block intersections and clear roads.
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That quick thinking paid off.
Doctors at the hospital said the victim is now stable and that the tourniquets applied by the deputies definitely saved their life.
The injured deputy was treated at a hospital and has already been released. Sheriff Scott thanked the deputies and the other police departments for working together so quickly to save a life.
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