A Miami-Dade Police officer chasing a suspect wanted for a firearm violation was forced to shoot and kill a pit bull when it began chasing him Monday afternoon, police said.
When police arrived at the suspect’s house at 3102 NW 69th St. they confirmed that he did indeed have a gun before he ran away, Detective Alvaro Zabaleta said.
When the officer pursued the suspect, the dog became “aggressive,” and the officer shot it, said Zabaleta, who is a spokesman for the department.
No one was injured in the confrontation at the house on the southwest corner of the intersection of NW 69th Street and NW 31st Avenue, he added.
Police did a perimeter search for the suspect – whom Zabaleta said is in his 30s – but did not find him over about two hours, according to police.
But when they returned to the house, police did discover several more pit bulls on the property, which are illegal in the county, so Miami-Dade Animal Services was brought in to corral the dangerous dogs and take them into custody, police said.
Zabaleta said police expect to formally identify the suspect between Monday and Tuesday and then put out a warrant for his arrest.
