Officers Told to Shoot if Attacked
An officer responding to an escalating neighborhood disturbance ended up firing two shots at the pit bull. Rock Island Police Department Capt. Wayne Sharer said officers probably use deadly force against an animal only a couple times a year, but certain situations make the choice unavoidable.

"Especially in the situation like yesterday where it was a rapidly developing situation where a dog just charges at an officer out of nowhere, they are certainly authorized to put them down if they have to. Ideally you don't want to put yourself in that situation, but we all know it happens."

Rock Island County Animal Care and Control director Rich Glessner says that people have to understand with dogs like this that the animal is already destroyed once the owner trains it to be mean.