Deputy shot pit bull after dog bite

A deputy working for the Effingham County Sheriff's Office had just cause to use deadly force when he shot a pit bull during an investigation Tuesday, according to the sheriff's office.

“After being attacked, the deputy had a reasonable belief that the dog would cause serious injury to him or others if deadly force was not used,” said Brian Bailey, public information officer for the sheriff's office of Effingham County.

ECSO has provided appropriate protocol in accordance with Georgia state law that officers can use to determine if and when deadly force is necessary. It reads in part: “Deputies may use deadly force to destroy an animal that poses a physical threat to the deputy or others, or as a humanitarian measure when the animal is seriously injured. »