A 69-year-old man was attacked by five loose dogs and fired shots to protect himself Wednesday afternoon in Fond du Lac, police said. The incident occurred at 12:35 p.m. on Dec. 24 in the area of Park and Gillett, according to the Fond du Lac Police Department.

Officers responded to a report of shots fired after the man was bitten multiple times by dogs that had escaped from a fenced yard. The police department said it initiated a controlled tactical response that included the deployment of the department’s armored vehicle as officers investigated the scene.

The animals — five dogs that had left a nearby fenced yard — were not harmed during the encounter, police said. The man discharged a firearm “in an effort to protect himself from further injury,” the department reported.

Emergency responders treated the man for multiple bite wounds. Fond du Lac police handled the scene and coordinated the law-enforcement response, the department said in its account of the events.

Neighbors in the Park and Gillett area reported hearing the disturbance and seeing officers arrive quickly after the initial call, local outlets noted while relaying the police statement. A police statement reported by Fox11Online described the tactical measures taken by officers during the response.

Police emphasized the use of a controlled tactical response when a shots-fired report is received, and said the armored vehicle was part of that precautionary posture. The department said the dogs involved were not injured during the incident. The sequence began with the dogs leaving their fenced enclosure and attacking the man, who then discharged his firearm while the police response was underway. Officials documented the time of the call as 12:35 p.m. on Dec. 24 and identified the location as the Park and Gillett area of Fond du Lac.

Investigators remained on scene to secure evidence and assess the circumstances surrounding the attack and the shooting. The police department’s initial release framed the shooting as an act of self-protection by the man after he sustained multiple bites, underscoring the legal obligations of pet owners to maintain control over their animals.

The department’s statement to the public described both the dog attack and the law-enforcement actions taken in the immediate aftermath. The account noted the dogs were loose after escaping a fenced yard and that none were harmed during the response.

Authorities urge residents to report similar incidents to the police so officers can respond rapidly and take appropriate safety measures. The Fond du Lac Police Department handled the response and investigation into the Dec. 24 incident.

Source

Original reporting: view the original article.