Larimer County deputy shoots, kills dog attacking man in north Fort Collins park

A Larimer County sheriff's deputy shot and killed a dog that was attacking a man in a north Fort Collins park Thursday morning.

The deputy was driving in the area of Lincoln Avenue and First Street in north Fort Collins — near Buckingham Park — about 11:30 a.m. Thursday when the deputy noticed "a man struggling with a large dog," according to a sheriff's office news release.

As the deputy got closer, he said he saw the dog biting the man, who was unable to escape. The deputy and several bystanders tried to intervene, and they were briefly able to separate the dog and the man, but the dog started attacking the man again, according to the sheriff's office.

The deputy then shot the dog, killing it, the sheriff's office said. The deputy applied a tourniquet to the injured man, who was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries. No one else was injured.

The victim knew the dog and the multiple witnesses, according to the release.

“Given the severity of the victim’s injuries and ongoing attack, quick and decisive action was necessary,” Lt. Troy Badberg said in the news release. “Nobody ever wants to end the life of an animal, and our deputy was forced with making a difficult choice to stop further serious harm to the man being mauled.”

The Larimer County Sheriff's Office will conduct an internal review of the deputy's use of force, per the agency's policy, according to the news release. Fort Collins Police Services will investigate the dog attack because it occurred within city limits.

Anyone with information about this incident who has not yet spoken with police can contact officer Will Biberos at 970-419-3273.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Dog shot, killed while attacking man in Fort Collins park