In a harrowing incident at the Cedar Run Apartments in Hickory Hill, the Memphis Police Department responded to a distressing situation where an infant was under attack by two dogs. On Friday, at about 5:19 p.m., officers arrived at the scene following the emergency call, Action News 5 reports.

Racing against time to save the child, upon entry, officers found the canines engaged in the attack and were compelled to discharge their firearms, fatally striking the animals. The infant, critically injured from the assault, received prompt transportation to the nearby Baptist Pediatric Hospital for urgent care. A parent, in their desperate attempts to defend the baby from the brutal mauling, was also wounded by one of the dogs, according to details shared by FOX13 Memphis.

Assistant Police Chief Don Crowe gave an account of the rapid response of the officers, grappling with the gravity of the scene before them. "They got here as fast as they could. When they arrived on the scene inside one of the apartments two dogs were mauling a child, small infant child. The officer discharged his weapon and dispatched both dogs. The officer grabbed the child up, ran downstairs, started first aid on the child," Crowe told FOX13. He followed with a call for community support, "Right now, we just want to pray for that family and pray for that child and pray for the officer that had to face this tonight.”

While the precise circumstances leading up to the tragedy have yet to be fully unraveled, Memphis Police continue their investigations into the attack. The two dogs involved in the incident, which occurred inside the premises of the apartment, did not survive the confrontation as confirmed by police, WREG reports. As the details remain scarce, our thoughts remain with the child fighting for their life and the family coping with this unexpected horror.