A dog was shot by an off-duty officer in Hollywood who apparently was trying to confront a robbery suspect, LAPD officials said Thursday.
The incident was reported about 3 p.m. inside the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain along the 6800 block of Hollywood Boulevard.
The off-duty officer was in Hollywood when he was alerted of a robbery suspect in the area, Sgt. Barry Montgomery told KTLA.
The officer got a security guard to help him confront the suspect, who had a pit bull. The man allegedly sicced the dog on the officer and security guard, who were both bitten, Montgomery said.
At some point during the incident, the officer shot the dog.
The two law enforcement officers were taken to a hospital for their bite injuries and the dog was taken to a veterinarian in unknown condition.
A man, believed to be the owner of the dog, was taken from the scene in an ambulance, video showed. He appeared to be handcuffed to the stretcher.
Witnesses who work in the area described the man as being homeless and that his dog is usually well-mannered.
Witness Joe Rowland described the scene as “bloody.”
“There was a lot of blood coming from the dog’s nose,” he said.
Residents and visitors to the popular tourist area were asked to avoid the area. Hollywood Boulevard was closed between Highland Avenue and Orange Drive, police said in a tweet.
KTLA’s Matt Phillips contributed to this story.