An LAPD officer opened fire on a dog Tuesday morning during a homeless encampment cleanup in Pacoima after the animal bit two people, according to authorities. The incident left an on-duty officer and a 30-year-old man with bite injuries; both were expected to survive, police told reporters. Crews had been clearing tents and RVs in the Montague Street area when the call for help went out.
Police: Officer Opened Fire After Bites
The LAPD says its Foothill Division sent a patrol unit to support the cleanup, and that officers received a help call around 10:37 a.m. about two people who had been bitten. That is when an officer fired at the dog, according to NBC Los Angeles. Two ambulances were requested, and medics treated multiple people at the scene, the department said. The police account marked the first official confirmation that a firearm was used during the cleanup.
Where It Happened
Local outlets placed the encounter near Bradley Avenue and Montague Street shortly before 11 a.m., while other crews reported activity close to Montague and San Fernando Road during the operation, as reported by ABC7. Officers were assisting a municipal cleanup at the time, according to law enforcement briefings cited by broadcast reporters. Details remain preliminary while investigators sift through witness statements and radio traffic.
Scene And Eyewitness Video
Helicopter video and field reports showed medics working on at least one person in the street and a dog lying motionless beside an RV, according to local TV crews and scene reporters. Some outlets said the officer and a civilian were taken to nearby hospitals; the LAPD told NBC Los Angeles that the victims were expected to survive. City animal control units and investigators were reported to be en route or already on scene, although officials had not yet released the dog’s condition.
Investigation And Legal Context
If a firearm was discharged, the LAPD’s Force Investigation Division, which handles categorical uses of force that include animal shootings, would typically take over the case, according to the department’s office on professional standards. The Pacoima incident follows other recent confrontations in the region, including an April 6 traffic-stop shooting of a dog in Sun Valley and an April 16 incident where an officer fired at a dog in Long Beach, highlighting recurring tensions when officers work around encampments. Local write-ups of those cases appear in coverage of the Sun Valley traffic stop and the Long Beach river-path encounter.
Authorities so far have declined to release a fuller timeline of what unfolded or an update on the animal’s status. Investigators remained on scene into the afternoon, gathering witness accounts and collecting any available video. This story will be updated as the LAPD or city agencies release additional details.
