SUMTER, S.C. — A pitt bull is dead after a South Carolina Highway Patrol officer shot and killed it after it tried to attack him in Sumter.
According to the Sumter County Sheriff's office Sunday morning, June 23, 2024, a Sumter County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to an incident in the town of Wedgefield involving a South Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper and a pit bull.
Upon arrival, the deputy spoke with the family who owned the dog and the trooper at the scene to gather information for the investigation.
The investigation revealed that at approximately eleven o'clock Sunday morning a SCHP Trooper arrived at a Wedgefield residence to deliver paperwork.
Witness testimony and video from the trooper’s body-worn camera reveal that as the trooper slowly approached the residence dogs began barking. At that time, the trooper turned to walk back to their patrol vehicle. The trooper looked back just in time to see a pit bull come from underneath the home and charge them.
The trooper yelled, “Get back!” and shot the dog to defend themselves from the attack.
Following an investigation by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office it has been determined that the trooper’s actions were justifiable. Evidence showed that the trooper was in fear for his life from the attacking dog.
