Philadelphia police department.
Philadelphia Police Department.

Off-Duty Philadelphia Cop Forced to Shoot Three Pit Bulls Attacking Woman

Posted by
1 min read
May 14, 2024

Philadelphia, PA — An off-duty police officer shot and killed one of three pit bulls attacking a woman in Southwest Philadelphia on Tuesday morning.

The incident occurred around 10:38 a.m. on the 1500 block of South 58th Street. The officer, driving his personal vehicle, saw a 52-year-old Black woman being attacked by several dogs.

The dogs’ owner, a 21-year-old Black man, was attempting to stop the attack.

The officer discharged his service weapon multiple times, stopping the attack. The woman sustained bite wounds to her leg, arm, and head and was transported to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania-Cedar in stable condition.

One pit bull was found deceased in the owner’s backyard and taken into custody by Philadelphia Animal Care & Control. The owner controlled a second dog, but the third dog remains at large.

Police are investigating the circumstances of the attack, including what provoked the dogs. The officer, a 43-year-old two-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department assigned to the 17th Police District, has been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the Internal Affairs and Officer-Involved Shooting investigations.

This follows an incident earlier this month when an officer was forced to shoot a dog attacking a man in the city.

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

Don't Miss