FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 21, 2023

District Attorney Dave Strouse announced today that his office has reviewed the June 23, 2023 incident on Coudersport Pike, in Woodward Township.  As a result of that review, DA Strouse has determined that the responding police officer acted reasonably and was justified in using force to prevent serious bodily injury to himself or other nearby civilians.  DA Strouse has also referred the matter to the Clinton and Centre County Dog Law Warden for further investigation and potential criminal charges, as the subject animals have been demonstrated to be “Dangerous Dogs” pursuant to Pennsylvania Law.

At approximately 7:15pm on June 23^, 2023, Woodward Township Police responded to two separate citizen complaints of two loose dogs, a pitbull and a german sheppard.  One of the complainants informed police that the dogs were an “ongoing problem” and were very aggressive and had attacked someone in the area previously.  Another complainant called 911 and reported that the two dogs were being aggressive and that the complainant was currently in possession of a firearm and intended to shoot the dogs if they came after the caller’s pets again. 

DA Strouse was able to review the video footage of the incident.  The camera footage clearly shows police arriving at the location of the complaints and observing the two dogs running back and forth across multiple properties and the roadway.  The officer exited his vehicle and attempted to control traffic so as to prevent the animals from being struck by motorists.  The officer contacted the SPCA to request a dog warden or humane officer, but there was none available at that time.  The officer then contacted Lock Haven City Police to request assistance, and to bring a dog “catch pole” to assist in getting the dogs under control.  The officer attempted to make contact with the resident of the house, but there was no response despite repeated attempts at the door.

While outside of his patrol car, the two dogs are observed charging at the officer on multiple occasions.  Each time the dogs charged, the officer retreated, yelled loudly and kicked his legs in an effort to avoid an attack.  After the dogs charged the officer three times, the pitbull continued to pursue the officer as he fled the full length of his patrol car. As the pitbull approached a couple of feet of the officer and continued to pursue him, the officer fired a single shot, striking the pitbull.  As a result of that shot, the pitbull disengaged the attack and ran away across the roadway into nearby brush.  The german sheppard did not reengage the police officer.

Six days prior to this incident on June 17, 2023, Woodward Township Police had responded to a previous incident involving the same dogs in the area of Wagner Lane, Woodward Township.  On that date, the dogs were again loose and entered onto the property of a neighbor.  The pitbull was reported to have charged at the neighbor repeatedly in the effort to bite the neighbor, who fought the dog off with a stick and escaped back into their home. 

Further investigation revealed that the dogs’ owners, who are current residents at a home on the 2600 block of Coudersport Pike, had previously been cited for failure to confine the animals in July of 2022 when they resided in Centre County.  Contact with local SPCA officials and the Dog Law Warden confirmed that the pitbull, specifically, was aggressive and had previously bit a Pennsylvania State Trooper in July of 2022 in Centre County, when the dogs and owners resided in that county.

In December of 2022, an employee of a business in Porter Township, Clinton County, was attacked by the pitbull outside of a dental office.  The owners of the dog were living in an upstairs apartment at the time.  On that occasion, the female owner of the pitbull had watched the dog lunge at and bite the victim, resulting in a significant injury that required medical attention.  After the attack, the owner was heard telling the victim, “oh you probably frightened it.” 

DA Strouse was also able to confirm that the dogs’ owners had an extensive history of failure to control dogs.  The dogs purported owners had been cited for failure to control/loose dogs on at least seven (7) prior occasions.

As a result of that review, the investigation has been referred to the Dog Law Warden to consider and file appropriate charges as the animals have been clearly demonstrated to be Dangerous Dogs pursuant Chapter 27 of the Pennsylvania Dog Law.