Dog shot and killed after attacking Calgary officer

Calgary police are investigating an incident on Tuesday that saw a dog shot to death by an officer in the Manchester industrial area.

Police were called to a vacant lot in the 5000 block of First Street S.W. at roughly 10:30 a.m. for reports of a suspicious vehicle.

Acting Sgt. Jeff Dyck said arriving officers walked up to the vehicle, a motorhome, at which time a dog pushed its way through the doorway and attacked one of the officers.

"That officer was forced to discharge his firearm, and the dog was stopped at that point," he said.

The officer was taken to hospital with injuries to his hand.

Dyck said the dog "looks like a pit bull type."

He says there were some puppies at the property as well, but they didn't attack anyone. They've been taken into custody by bylaw officers.

The Calgary Police Service is working together with bylaw officers on the investigation.

Dyck says there were two people inside the camper, both of whom are in custody.

"(It) speaks to … The encampment issue that we've been having in a lot of Canadian cities right now," he said.

A dog was shot and killed by Calgary police in the 5000 block of First Street S.W. on April 2, 2024. Dyck says the officer was wearing a body-worn camera at the time, and everything was caught on video. 

Charlene Heisler, a friend of the man inside the motorhome, said she arrived in the morning to help tow the vehicle, which had broken down.. 

“I turned around and I heard ‘pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,’ five times,” Heisler said.

“I’ve never heard a gunshot, so I was looking around wondering, and by the time I got there, the dog was laying on the ground next to the door and the two officers were standing like back, so if (the dog) did attack them, like when and where?”

With files from CTV News Calgary's Alesia Fieldberg