A dog that was shot after lunging at police officers has died, according to Richmond RCMP.
Police said they responded to an alleged break-and-enter in progress, at around 6:40 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18.
The suspect allegedly fought with the two responding officers as they attempted to arrest him.
As the situation escalated, the officers called for additional back-up. Several more Mounties responded and arrived on scene.
However, as the back-up officers entered the building, they “encountered a person with a large dog,” according to a statement from Richmond RCMP.
The individual lost control of the dog, which then cornered officers in a “confined space and bit two of them,” RCMP said. One of the officers was then “ultimately forced” to shoot the dog as it attacked them.
“This was a terribly unfortunate incident for all involved,” said Const. Kenneth Lau in a statement.
“Police officers often have to make a split second decision between being potentially seriously injured or protecting the safety of themselves, their fellow officers or the public.”
A 40-year-old man of no fixed address is scheduled to appear in Richmond Provincial Court on Feb. 24, 2021 on break-and-enter charges.
