Dog killed after attacking officer

LANCASTER - A Lancaster police officer fired multiple rounds, killing an aggressive dog that attacked him twice while he was responding to a dog bite complaint around 8:25 p.m. on Thursday in the 600 block of North High Street.

Officer Alex Sinewe was bitten repeatedly before firing nine rounds, killing the dog. The Eagle-Gazette obtained Sinewe's body cam video, capturing the entire attack. The video shows Sinewe knocking on the resident's door and asking if the dogs are put away. The resident responds "no," and when she turns to go back into the home to put them away, two dogs run out and one large mixed breed dog attacks Sinewe.

Once the attack is over, both dogs run down the steps of the apartment. On the sidewalk, one turns back and goes back onto the porch before the second, aggressive one returns and attacks Sinewe a second time. Sinewe was bitten multiple times and was taken to Fairfield Medical Center for treatment. Sinewe did not fire any shots until the second attack.

The resident was on the porch while the shots were fired and started yelling for the dog to stop before the officer started firing. According to the report, the resident is not the owner of the dog and the owner was not there when the attacks occurred.

As the shots were fired, the other dog ran away and still has not been located, according to the Lancaster Police Department. Officials are attempting to locate the second dog, which didn't appear to be part of either attack. The dog that was killed is being tested for rabies, according to the police department.

About 10 minutes prior to the shooting, the same dog had reportedly bitten a 24-year-old man leaving the apartment next door in the leg. The man said the dog was on a leash but dragged the resident across the yard in order to get to him. Sinewe had just finished talking with the first bite victim before he was bitten by the dog himself.

Officers are trained to fire until the deadly threat stops, according to Lancaster police officials. The department reviewed Sinewe's use of force multiple times and determined that although an animal's death is tragic, police officials said the officer acted appropriately. Officials also noted that Sinewe is an average-size male, and a smaller officer in this circumstance may have been killed.

sremoquill@lancastereaglegazette.com

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Twitter: @SpencerRemo