On July 17th, a Summerville City Police Officer, while responding to a report of an aggressive dog, was attacked and bitten by the dog and the officer fired a single shot, killing the dog.
Watch body cam video footage here: https://youtu.be/dWXjt1EqCI4
Officer Matt Pritchard reported the following account in the incident report:
“On the 17th day of July 2019 at 0725 Am I was dispatched to Hawkins Dr in reference to an attempted dog attack. Upon arrival I met with Tonia Johnson who was clearly very emotion and still upset. She described to me that she walks the Highland Ave area every morning and several walkers have had a bad experience with an animal at Highland Ave. She described to me an encounter with a white boxer/pit bull dog mix that had aggressively charged her and tried to bite her several times. She had to retreat into Highland Ave during the assault almost being hit by a moving vehicle.
Upon my arrival to Highland Ave when I got out of my patrol vehicle I was immediately charged by a A dog matching that description. I yelled at the dog and the animal stopped and continued to growl, It then charged me once again and I used OC spray on the dog which then ran into the patio area of the residence. I then made contact with Lori Howell and described the nature of the complaint on her animal. While we were speaking the dog ran from the patio area around in front of me and tried to attack when it came by.
The animal did place me in fear of immanent bodily harm at this time, Miss, Howell came out of the residence in between me and the dog and was telling the dog to go into the house. She then stated , “He’s not acting right ,something is wrong with him.”
The animal refused to follow all commands from her and run wide around her and attacked me. In one motion the dog jumped and bit my foot as I kicked the animal and fired one round into the dog stopping the threat. The pair of Rocky Alpha Force duty boots issued by my Department did have a puncture and tear mark across the toe of the boot damaging the water-proof membrane leaving a piece of hanging leather.
DCIM101MEDIA
Officer M.Armstrong respond to the scene and assist me by calming Miss. Howell and taking pictures of my boot then also contacting animal control. We were advised that it would be the owners discretion on the removal of the animal and Miss. Howell request it be left where it expired.
After further investigation into dog complaints at this address I did locate a previous incident report with case number 0010-07-19 in reference to a dog bite at this location where the victim was transported by Ems for treatment. Additional 911 Cads Available in reference at this location, Incident#57131 and Incident#570584.”
The dog’s owner Lori Howell told AllOnGeorgia: “It was like a scene out of a horror movie.”
Summerville Police Chief Stan Mosley told AllOnGeorgia the “the video fully clears the officer… the dog did attack the officer and did bite the boot of the officer, that’s when he shot the dog.”
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The rights for animals
July 24, 2019 at 7:53 am
Pritchett is a sorry police officer he needs to be fired this is not his first incident with the public he is bad for Chattooga County. Dogs have rights too they are family
Deez nuts
July 2, 2020 at 2:34 am
Man fuck that dog
Andy Taylor
July 24, 2019 at 8:26 am
Matt Pritchett is a wannabe cop. He needs to be charged with animal cruelty this family member did nothing wrong and that is just what he is a family member Matt fitchett you’re nothing but a Barney Fife want to be
Les
July 24, 2019 at 9:46 am
If you shoot it do it twice no reason to let it suffer a second
Dog lover
July 24, 2019 at 11:46 am
If I was Lori I would file a lawsuit with Summerville police department and Matt Pritchett for cruelty to animals. This was uncalled for. Matt Pritchett is low life and does not need to be a police officer of any kind. Just give him an excuse so I can draw his gun and shoot something. Did he not think the dog was going to attack after he pepper sprayed him. Come on Matt Pritchett. Use common sense. Why did you not call and say you were on the wwy Poor Pitiful excuse for a human being. Giving him a gun and he thinks he’s Donald Trump. Hahaha😂😂😂😂😂 just feel so sorry for Lori. Animals are a part of your family. My condolence to you Lori
Amy Smith
July 24, 2019 at 11:48 am
Matt Pritchett you’re a sick individual
Jason
July 25, 2019 at 1:00 pm
Officer needs an accomadation. This dogs bit several people and was a danger to the public. The cold hard facts are in black and white. The owner should have been charged with criminal negligence and restitution for the boots.
Mary Louise
July 29, 2019 at 5:25 pm
This must be big bad detective Jason at the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office
Randy Rush
July 24, 2019 at 3:02 pm
The dog was protecting it’s property and owner. Sure he wasn’t acting right, you had just pepper sprayed him moron. Do you think he wanted to be your friend? You had already attacked him, and then you got close to his master, he didn’t want you to hurt her. And then you stand there and let the dog suffer? Just goes to show the kind of person you are. Maybe you could have called the Lady out after the dog was aggresive toward you?? That was that dogs home, not yours. Ever heard of Private Property? You are one of the reasons people don’t like some cops. I have said it before and I will say it again, Matt Pritchard is a tradgedy just waiting to happen. We have a lot of great police officers in this town, you are NOT one of them. We don’t need cops like you. It’s just a matter of time before you kill a human instead of a dog. Mark my words, it’s going to happen. Stan Mosley you really should put some serious thought into this. You will be held accountable for his mistakes. I really thought you would have dismissed him already, instead you stand behind him? Justified? Did you watch the same video I did? He’s going to hurt someone or get hurt, then the blood will be on your hands.
Beverly Ford
July 24, 2019 at 4:16 pm
Oh my dear Lord, you were in that dogs yard, he was just doing his job and protecting his home, you could have sprayed him again if you were that afraid, a senseless act of murder, so many other ways this should have been handled! Next time, it could be a person!
Jlee
July 24, 2019 at 6:11 pm
Na there was other ways to go about that whole situation. That officers intentions from the get go was to leave with that dog dead. At the beginning of the video the dog was under the carport barking and raising hell (probably doing what he was trained to do like any other dog, warn his owner there’s someone here in our protperty) but never once ran after him to bite him and attack him. But if that dog was so vicious and mean like that cop was acting like he was then that dog would’ve attacked him and bit him the second he stepped foot out of that car. But the dog stayed under the carport and the officer started walking up to the dog and was intimidating him and picking on him and was cussing at him. He was intentionally picking on that dog to aggravate that dog to where he would eventually get mad and come at him which is what happened and the dog got pepper sprayed. Then he goes up to the door and gets the owner and as Soon as she came out and told him about the shock collar he should’ve went back into his car or around the other side of the fence until she got him in the house since the poor thing couldn’t see while this was all being said. CAuse if he felt that scared of the dog he wouldn’t have been standing there that close to the dog knowing it can’t see and the owner has already been informed of what happened and he had a chance to escape the dog while she put him up. Then he could’ve went and finished his conversation. But nope he stood there and then the dog could see again and he immediately reached for his gun suddenly and that dog thought he was about to hurt his owner like he just got hurt thinking it was probably pepper spray and came at him like that and he shot him in the head. He could’ve tazed him or pepper sprayed him like he did before cause when he pepper sprayed him before he ran off away from him. But nope that wasn’t enough this time. Even the first time the dog was so far away from him you could see the pepper spray shoot in the air at the dog and that right there shows that dog wasn’t close to him. He could’ve avoided this whole situation but from the get go he made the comment dog I will f**** you up. No other officer would go out to a call to a vicious dog and start walking up to the dog picking on him and teasing that dog to where he did finally attack them like this officer did. He brought this on himself when he got out of the car and started talking to that dog the way he did and was walking up to the dog like he did. That dog was just doing what any other dog does, barks and lets their owners know there’s someone here. I have a Pitbull and she always barks and shows her hair and runs up to people that walk in my yard, she’s still alive and some people has said she looks mean but she has never bit anyone a day in her life and is the biggest coward there is. These dogs are very smart but there breeds are just made out to be the most vicious dogs there is all because they look it. Looks can be deceiving but doesn’t mean they are vicious. That dog didn’t Deserve to die at all and it wasn’t right and was sickening to know all of that could’ve been avoided. Especially with me being a bully breed owner and knowing if my dog runs up to a cop that pulls up and is barking with her hair up she’s gonna get shot, that’s not right in any type of way and that better not happen. They can sit in the car and not come on my property and lay on the horn until I come out before getting out and shooting my dog especially if they’re gonna pick on her like this poor baby was picked on and talked to horribly before getting shot. If a 2-3 yr old can shut themselves in a room with my baby and laugh and giggle and not afraid of her when she barks then I don’t think an officer should be afraid and shoot her either. This has my blood boiling just thinking about it and knowing a poor dogter got shot when he wasn’t doing anything wrong except what he was use to doing warning his owners there’s someone here. Any dog is gonna bark and look at you crazy if they’ve never seen you before and you’re in their territory.
#rantover #R.I.P. goodfriend
Jeff
May 31, 2020 at 10:36 am
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha “Make fun of that dog”. Shush Karen. Glad that pit’s gone. Any animal that is as territorial as you say this dog was deserves death. Good riddance.
Evalisa Whistler
April 24, 2023 at 2:52 am
Jeff, you should be ashamed of yourself. That’s sick
Vic
September 1, 2023 at 7:48 am
Jeff stop being an edgelord. Weirdo.
Evalisa Whistler
April 24, 2023 at 2:42 am
Well said. All very true. It was and is within her rights to ask the cop to leave her property unless he has a warrant of some kind. But she was being a helpful good citizen and engaged in a conversation with the officer. When her dog recovered from the first assault the cop made with pepper spraying him, he came out to protect his home. The lady was calling her dog inside and she would have been able to… but animals pick up on things that we don’t see… like dangerous people. This cop came onto her property where the dog lives and was the entire time, has a shock collar on so he can’t get loose, and killed this poor dog in his yard in front of his owner. I’m so disturbed by this! I’m outraged!
Xiahko
July 26, 2019 at 5:24 pm
The dog had on a shock collar and was being shocked everytime it barked. This was making the dog confused and aggressive.
I feel bad for the dog who’s human failed him.
Rick Spencer
July 26, 2019 at 5:58 pm
What a terrible person to do that to her fur baby. I bet he would shoot a human that quick too for no apparent reason.
This man should be fired from the force. He is a danger to society.
Buddy hillard
July 27, 2019 at 10:01 pm
That’s federal government training. That’s well above average for police officers. That was a good call a superior shot placement. Thank you for your service soldier.
Mary
July 29, 2019 at 11:03 am
The article clearly said that dog had already sent a person to the hospital for a nasty dog bite wound, then the dog bit the officer. That’s a fully justified shoot all day long!
Scott
July 30, 2019 at 5:10 am
Dog was a nuisance , its bit more than the lady it sent to the hospital. Look it up. It bit a 19 year old that was friends with their son. I know it’s my 19 year old son.
Shannon
May 14, 2020 at 10:13 am
I’m so sorry that happened to your son. Apparently the dog ignored it’s shock collar! She was not unaware of her pets prior behavior and had been cited before.
She had chances to make changes.
It looks like she’s already got another dog, hopefully this one will be better contained.
The officer was very empathetic to her, he was not angry or aggressive, and was patiently explaining things. She had zero control over her dog.
Mark
July 30, 2019 at 9:29 pm
The hatred for law enforcement on here is sickening. The dog bit the cop. End of story. Get over it. Anyone would do the same thing if you were getting mauled. Randy rush sounds like you have a personal agenda.
Shasha
July 31, 2019 at 10:13 pm
That cop made a good call. He saved the city a lot of money in workers compensation and emergency room bills. Owner should have been charged with reckless conduct for not having a known viscous dog in a locked pen with plenty of beware of dog signs. This cops been at the department a long time and is a great guy that most people love.
Miss. Hayes
August 1, 2019 at 2:03 pm
Half of these people hating on the cop so bad are actually pawns out to try and get back at the chief of police and advance their own political agenda.
Janeise
August 28, 2019 at 8:27 am
That was SO SO SO freaking uncalled for!!!! I have a high respect for police officers….but not you ASSHOLE!!!!!!!
Kat
November 25, 2019 at 6:11 am
He did what he had to do. She had no control of her dog. He continuously apologized because he felt bad but he was well within his rights to stop an attack.
Alex
January 2, 2020 at 2:15 pm
I thought it was suspicious that so many people responded with really stupid comments. It’s clear from the video that the animal was dangerous and the owner was negligent. One commenter’s idea that the shock collar could have been aggravating the dog sounds likely. The comment about political pawns using the incident to attack the chief of police also sounds likely, since he was called out by name, the comments against him and this officer are beyond stupid, and that line of reasoning conforms to what we know about animal nature.
Jen
May 14, 2020 at 7:12 am
This dog was literally an aggressive dog that terrorized the neighborhood. Anyone who thinks this officer was wrong for shooting this piece of shit is literally crazy and values a crappy nasty dog that has legit HURT HUMAN BEINGS over human life. You have a mental illness if you think an aggressive dog matters more than a person’s safety. If the owner cared about her trash dog, the dog would have been crated in the house and only outside on a leash and with a muzzle on. That’s how aggressive this dog was. It chased a young woman into traffic. It bit someone so badly they had to seek care. Fuck this dog 100%.
Tony
May 14, 2020 at 2:53 pm
The dog should have been euthanized after the first attack that sent a person to the hospital.
Unfortunately, we see this behavior from pit bulls and pit bull owners again and again.
I feel bad that the officer was placed in that situation but he’s a hero; he probably saved someone’s life.
Akuma
May 14, 2020 at 11:03 pm
The cop was fully in the right. The dog made full contact with him and the owner obviously didn’t care about the dog or she would have grabbed it instead of standing in front of it like an idiot.
It’s obvious the cop didn’t want to shoot but had no choice.
Chris
May 24, 2020 at 6:42 pm
Love it, music to my ears, these things are horrible
Joseph Dickemeyer
May 31, 2020 at 6:11 am
HaHa. Music for sure. Good job! It sounded like a Tasmanian Devil right before it died. Argarg aarrgggarga brrrgrr arg…
Nick
June 1, 2020 at 7:02 am
Cop responded calmly and correctly. Should have put it out of its misery with a second shot but then it wouldn’t be self defense sadly.
Brian
June 1, 2020 at 11:23 am
I’m glad that nobody was seriously hurt.
Michiko
September 20, 2020 at 12:15 am
Just love the way it cries, sounds like a baby mozart playing hallelujah.
Oh baby