A 1-year-old child is dead, and police say a dog attack is to blame. The unnamed infant was critically injured inside an apartment in Memphis, Tennessee, after being attacked by two dogs. The child's parents reportedly tried to save the baby, but could not get the dogs off. One of the parents was injured in the attack.
Tragically, the dogs were still attacking when police arrived at the home on August 9, Fox 13 reported. A responding officer shot the animals and killed them. The infant later died of injuries sustained during the attack.
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Officers responded to a 911 call from the parents.
Fox 13 reported officers responded to a 911 call to the Cedar Run Apartments on East Point Drive just after 5 p.m. on Friday.
As police entered the apartment, the dogs were still attacking the infant. Unable to stop the dogs, police were forced to shoot the animals to end the attack. Assistant Police Chief Don Crowe told the news station it was a brutal attack.
Police officers made a difficult decision.
According to Crowe, responding officers did what they could to try to save the child.
"They got here as fast as they could. When they arrived on the scene inside one of the apartments two dogs were mauling a child, small infant child. The officer discharged his weapon and dispatched both dogs. The officer grabbed the child up, ran downstairs, started first aid on the child," Crowe said.
Neighbors were shocked to hear the news.
Donald Redd lives in the apartment complex and is a dog owner. He told WREG he was saddened by the news.
"Two dogs weighing over 70 pounds with a 1-year-old infant, they don't stand a chance," Redd said.
He added he was surprised. "I don't really understand what would make them turn like that on a child."
The dogs apparently didn't seem aggressive.
Redd told WREG he'd seen the dogs' owner walking them around the apartment complex, and they seemed like nice animals. He agreed with the responding officer's reaction to the attack.
"If they turned on the child and the owner, then they not safe to be around no more," Redd said. "It's almost like a person, You don't never know what one is going to do from one day to the next. It all depends on how you raise them, their environment and everything else."
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It was a tragedy for everyone involved.
Crowe told Fox 13 the entire situation was a nightmare and he asked for people to be kind to everyone touched by this tragedy.
"Right now, we just want to pray for that family and pray for that child and pray for the officer that had to face this tonight," he said.
