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The police K9 was accidentally shot by it's handler and later succumbed to its injuries.
The incident happened shortly after noon in the 9300 block of Lands Point. Police arrived on the scene after receiving a call from an off-duty officer regarding a shooting in progress, according to a preliminary report obtained by the Current.
According to the document, an SAPD K-9 in an off-duty officer's backyard when three of a neighbor's dogs broke through the wooden fence separating the homes and attacked.
The off-duty K9 handler, fearing for his partner's life, grabbed his gun and opened fire on the pack. The bullets struck two of the dogs but also hit the police K-9, according to the report.
The K-9 was rushed to a local vet but later succumbed to the injury, police records show. One of the attacking dogs also died from its injuries.
San Antonio's troubled Animal Care Services Department was made aware of the attack, issuing six citations to the dog's owner. Charges include two counts of a dog roaming off property, one count of a dog damaging private property and one charge of failure to prevent an owned dog from biting another animal.
"Additional citations or charges may be forthcoming as the investigation continues," ACS spokeswoman Lisa Norwood said in a statement.
SAPD's Shooting Team and Internal Affairs Unit also will conduct separate but concurrent investigations into the incident, an official from department told the Current.
Meanwhile, the officer who opened fire will be placed on administrative duty, according to SAPD.
The weekend incident is the latest in a string of dog attacks that have shaken San Antonio and forced a reckoning on whether the city has moved aggressively enough to correct its dangerous-dog problem and fix problems at ACS.
Earlier this month, a state district judge found a couple responsible for the 2023 dog attack death of 81-year-old Air Force veteran Ramon Najera Jr. One of the dog owners was sentenced to 18 years in prison and the other 15.
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