Dogs chase kids, bite deputy

TAMPA - It was a sad sight Tuesday morning: a dog, dead in the street, shot by a Tampa police officer.

But investigators say it was a vicious dog that had attacked or chased at least three people that morning.

Darren Pickney was the first to come across the dog and another one, on his way to work.

He didn't know they were chasing him until they were about to grab him.

"I never saw the dogs, when I finally heard them, they were ready to grab me. I dove on top of this car, split my finger, scratched my knee, hurt my back. But the dogs were pulling at my pants leg, trying to get me," Pickney said.

Workers at a nearby business saw Pickney and ran to help. They beat the dogs off with sticks.

"Yeah I was scared, heart beating a 100 miles an hour, " said Pickney, recalling the tense moments.

The dogs then ran after two children on their way to school. The kids got away.

It was about that time that a Tampa Police officer got a call about, two dogs on the loose.

Officer Steve Letteri drove up, and so did deputy Jack Brock with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Brock had no idea about the dogs, but was there to serve an eviction notice to the dogs' owner.

"One began to bite the deputy's leg," said Tampa Police spokewoman Laura McElroy, describing what happened next. "He jumped up on a fence, trying to get away but the dog had latched on to his leg. And so the TPD officer pulled out his gun and shot the dog."

It took two bullets to kill the dog.

The other dog ran off, leaving those in the neighborhood worried.

Karen Spence was on a walk with two of her children.

"We were going for a walk, but now I'm going right back home, because I heard that," Spence said.

But an hour later, the dog returned to the house and was caught by Animal Control. The owner of the property told police the man who was living here, moved out in the middle of the night. He left the dogs behind.

Pickney couldn't believe it.

"You leave two pit bulls just free like that," he said.

Now he'll walk to work, with a weapon.

"Now I will walk with a stick. I like my morning walk, it's good exercise but now I think I'm going to get me a stick and walk."