A sergeant with the Independence County Sheriff’s Department’s Civil Process Division was attacked and bitten while serving an arrest warrant Tuesday afternoon.
Sgt. Brent Everett was on Sherrill Drive in the Salado area attempting to arrest Lonnie Dale Womack on an active warrant. According to the report information, Sgt. Everett made contact with a female who went inside to get Womack.
While the sergeant waited, he said he heard several subjects come out the back door and begin having a conversation in the backyard. A few moments later, a light tan and white pit bull charged around the side of the residence toward Sgt. Everett. The sergeant was able to deflect her away with his left hand, but was bitten in the process on his hand and wrist.
Sgt. Everett noted when the dog hit the ground, she turned and attempted to charge him again. At that time, the sergeant was able to draw his duty weapon and fire a shot at the pit bull, striking it in the back of the dog’s head, after which the pit bull then fled.
Just after the gunshot, Womack came from the rear of the residence, yelling to the sergeant, “You shot my dog,” the report noted. Sgt. Everett told Womack the dog had bitten him, and that Womack was under arrest for an active warrant.
Womack told the sergeant he was sorry, and that he thought the dog would just run Segt. Everett off the property, according to the report.
Womack was then taken into custody without further incident. Womack was also issued a citation for being in violation of the Vicious Dog Ordinance of Independence County.
Sgt. Everett was transported to the White River Medical Center for treatment of the wounds he received from the dog biting him.
The dog was taken to a veterinarian for its bullet wound and will remain quarantined for 10 days to ensure it does not carry the rabies virus.
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