The second dog in a week has been shot to death by Salt Lake police officers after the animal attacked them.
Officer Russell Adair and Officer Rick Bruno shot the black Labrador, which had attacked two men and Adair, police reports said.Adair was traveling east on Second South at Third West when an Idaho man flagged him down and said a dog had attacked him. The man pointed to the dog, which was attacking another man who swung his radio at the animal.
The dog growled when Adair approached the owner, reports said. The owner then began kicking the dog and "beat him to the ground." The dog attacked Adair as the officer tried to arrest the owner.
Jimmy Ray Martin, a transient, was booked into Salt Lake County Jail.
"The officer has every right in the world to defend himself," Lt. Tom Brown said of Saturday's shooting. "If deadly force is required, then deadly force is justified."
In the earlier incident, involving a pit bull, Troy Randy Montoya, 18, 225 S. 15th West, was charged Aug. 2 with aggravated assault and a single count of assault on a peace officer. Montoya's brother, Franklin Jeff Montoya, 27, 1794 W. Fourth North, was charged with assault on a peace officer.
According to police reports, Troy ordered the pit bull to attack officer Dave Hendricks on July 30 as the officer went around the house and climbed over a back fence while investigating a report of gunshots.