Hollister
– A local woman was hospitalized Friday morning after being hit
by fragments of a bullet fired by a Hollister police officer trying
to fend off a charging pit bull.
Hollister – A local woman was hospitalized Friday morning after being hit by fragments of a bullet fired by a Hollister police officer trying to fend off a charging pit bull.
The officer, who has not been identified, fired a single shot at the dog in front of a residence in the 1300 block of Sunnyslope Road in unincorporated San Benito County. The bullet missed, ricocheted off the ground and hit the woman in the lower leg, Police Capt. Bob Brooks said. The woman, whose name is also being withheld pending further investigation, was taken to Hazel Hawkins Hospital. Brooks said the wound was not life-threatening.
The officer had been called to the scene by a woman who was at the Sunnyslope Road residence to serve civil papers on an unidentified man, Brooks said. An argument between the man and the process server ensued. The police officer was moving toward the two people to calm them down when an adult male pit bull charged out of the house to attack the officer, Brooks said. The officer then fired a single round at the dog, Brooks said. The bullet missed and split into fragments, several of which hit the woman in the leg. Hospital officials could not be reached for comment after business hours on Friday. The woman’s condition was unknown as of press time.
Preliminary investigation showed the officer fired the shot in self-defense, Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller said.
“Everything indicates that this was justifiable. Situations like this unfold very quickly. The dog was charging and it called for instantaneous reaction,” Miller said Friday. “The officer aimed at the dog; it’s unfortunate that the bullet missed and fragmented.”
Miller said the officer involved in the shooting was a veteran officer who had served on the force for several years. The officer was placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation, Miller said.
“It is not a disciplinary action,” Miller said. “It’s to allow the officer to decompress. It’s a scary situation.”
Miller said the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office was investigating possible criminal charges against the pit bull’s owner, Laura Tijerina. Officials at the Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on the case Friday afternoon pending further investigation.
Brooks said the dog was impounded after the incident. Tijerina declined comment on the incident and directed questions to her attorney, Greg LaForge.
LaForge said his client was shocked by the incident and wanted to get her dog back.
“My client’s dog was barking, but he did not attack anybody,” LaForge said. “My client is distraught. She could have been shot. The term ‘overreaction’ comes to mind.”
Brett Rowland covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
