A Los Angeles police officer and another person were bitten by a dog during a cleanup operation at a Pacoima homeless encampment Tuesday, prompting an officer to fatally shoot the animal.
The officer was at the scene of the cleanup in the area of Norris Avenue and Osborne Street when the canine attacked, injuring the officer and another man, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The LAPD later confirmed that shots were fired during the encounter. Police told reporters that an officer shot the dog, who was later pronounced dead at the scene. It was unclear if the shots were fired by the same officer who was bitten.
Two rescue ambulances were called to the scene.
“Today, at around 10:40 am, Foothill Division officers were participating in a joint clean-up of an encampment with personnel from the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation and Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, in the 10300 block of Norris Avenue,” the LAPD said in a statement posted on X. “During the clean-up, a large, unrestrained dog approached and attacked one of the workers, biting both the worker and officer repeatedly, which resulted in an officer involved shooting.
“The dog was struck by gunfire and died at scene,” police continued. “One officer, along with a Sanitation employee and LAHSA employee, were transported to a local hospital, to be treated for injuries sustained as a result of the incident and are in stable condition.”
The nature of the third injury was not immediately clear.
The officer was believed to have suffered a leg injury, according to reports from the scene.
Detectives with the department’s Force Investigation Division were investigating the shooting.
The area near Osborne Street and Norris Avenue was expected to be impacted for several hours, police said.