May 03, 2024
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
A Philadelphia police officer fatally shot a cane corso after four loose dogs attacked a 53-year-old man at Fairmount Avenue and Union Street in Mantua on Wednesday morning.
A Philadelphia police officer opened fire on a pack of dogs that attacked a 53-year-old man, killing a cane corso.
The attack occurred at 10:16 a.m. Wednesday at Fairmount Avenue and Union Street. After a patrol officer was alerted to loose dogs in the area, he saw four dogs, including three pit bulls, attacking the man, investigators said.
The officer tried to distract the dogs by activating his sirens, but that proved ineffective, police said. He approached the scene and shot at the dogs, killing the cane corso. Cani corsi are bred to be guard dogs and often weight more than 100 pounds, according to the American Kennel Club.
A disturbing video shared on social media shows the dogs bringing the man to the ground and barking and biting him. Several people can be seen briefly trying to intervene, and a person can be heard yelling for the officer to shoot at the dogs. The officer then fires an initial shot at the cane corso, but the dogs don't disperse. After several seconds, he fires three more, prompting the dogs to flee. The cane corso can be seen walking off before it falls over on the street.
The 53-year-old man was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center for treatment to his wounds. Police said he was in stable condition.
According to the police, the officer, whose name has not been released, was not hurt and did not have his body camera turned on. He was placed on administrative leave, per Philly police policy, because the shooting is under investigation.
