Coachella police shoot and kill dog after it attacks two young girls

A Coachella police officer shot and killed a dog after the canine attacked two girls and later turned on officers, authorities said Thursday.

The incident occurred about 7.30 p.m. Tuesday in a shopping center at 48th Avenue, according to the Coachella Police Department.

Officers were called to the venue after reports of a vicious dog, police said. When they arrived they learned that two girls walking on the sidewalk were attacked by what appeared to be a pit bull, the police said.

One of the girls, a 9-year-old Coachella resident, had “a serious leg wound caused by the dog,” according to police. Paramedics were called to treat the girl, who was later taken by ambulance to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.

The other girl, aged 12, appeared to have minor injuries, authorities said.

Officers found the dog outside a nearby restaurant and attempted to contain it while awaiting the arrival of an animal control officer, police said.

“The dog attacked the officers, compelling an officer to shoot the dog with a handgun,” according to a police statement.

The canine was apprehended by an animal control officer and later died, authorities said.

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