A Salt Lake City Police Department officer was bitten by a dog, which later was shot and euthanized, following a trespassing call early Sunday morning. According to SLCPD, the incident occurred at a convenience store on West North Temple Street, an area noted for public safety issues.
Officers responded to the scene around 3:15 a.m., after a call about individuals trespassing. The situation escalated when a dog, leashed but not held by anyone, lunged and bit one of the police officers. The bitten officer managed to temporarily get free, attempting to then gain control of the situation despite his injury.
The dog's owner was able to take custody of the animal after the bite but soon handed it off to another person who struggled to maintain control as the dog acted aggressively. Information from the SLCPD indicates that the officer who was previously bitten, when faced with the charging dog for the second time, discharged his firearm, subsequently injuring the dog fatally.
Police detained the dog's owner briefly "for safety and the preservation of evidence," but later allowed her a private moment with her dog and a ride home. The officer attended the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No arrests were made; trespassers received verbal warnings. The SLCPD, citing public interest, released body-camera footage and stored videos to provide transparency. As obtained by SLCPD, Police Chief Brian Redd expressed his understanding of the community's grief and underscored the officers' necessity to make a split-second decision in response to the threat.
