DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Daytona Beach police said they fatally shot an 80-pound pit bull that was acting aggressively while they were responding to a burglary in progress Tuesday.
Police said when they arrived at the Spruce Street home around 11:30 a.m., they saw a man who matched the suspect description they were given. The man, identified Tuesday afternoon as Darryl Gurganious, ran through the home he was burglarizing and into the backyard, where the dog was tied up to a tree.
The officer told Gurganious, 47, not to release the dog, but he did anyway, the report said. The dog was about two feet away when the officer shot it three times. Police described the dog as aggressive.
Gurganious might have known the dog, but police said the dog did not belong to him or the homeowner. Officials are trying to determine who owns the animal.
Police said Gurganious fled the area on a bicycle and was arrested about two blocks away on Pine Street. He's charged with resisting arrest, destroying evidence and aggravated assault.
After he was arrested, Gurganious told police that he fled because he had a crack pipe on him and that he didn't recall unleashing the dog, according to the arrest report. Police said Gurganious disposed of the crack pipe before he was apprehended.