Police Shoot Dog on Beach; Crowd Angry

A police officer shot a dog on a La Jolla beach Monday after the animal charged two officers who were preparing to cite the owner for bringing the animal to the area, a police spokesman said.

Sgt. Dave Kelly said the 5 p.m. shooting attracted an angry, shouting crowd and prompted someone to cut the tires of the unidentified officers’ car. The confrontation with the crowd resulted in one arrest, but Kelly said no charges had been filed against the unidentified person by Monday night.

A police review board is investigating the incident, Kelly said, adding: “We’re catching a lot of hell over this one.”

According to the police version of the shooting, the two officers were on routine patrol when they saw a 50-pound mixed-breed dog running on the beach at the foot of Marine Street. The officers asked for the owner of the dog and a woman stepped forward. As she was getting out her identification, the dog “charged the officers with his teeth bared,” Kelly said.

“The dog was probably being protective of her. But dogs aren’t even allowed on the beach, let alone running loose,” he said.

According to the police report, one of the officers shot the dog once. Police did not release the woman’s name, and Kelly said he did not know whether she was cited.

The injured dog was taken to a veterinarian’s office, where it was put to sleep, police said.