A horrified bystander filmed a New York man being “brutally and viciously attacked” and killed by a pack of eight or nine pit bull-type dogs.
James Provost, 59, of Schenectady, New York, was beaten to death and left with “several injuries” Wednesday in Albany around 6 p.m.
Officers arrived at the scene in the 500 block of Central Avenue about three or four minutes after reports came in that a man had been “actively attacked by several mixed-breed pit bulls,” Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins said.
In an effort to stop the savage attack, one officer discharged his weapon and “hit one of the dogs,” while the others scattered before a “handler” arrived and took them back to the home, police said.
Hawkins revealed that a total of 24 male and female mixed breed pit bulls, 15 of them puppies, belonging to an anonymous owner who lived in Cohoes, about 15 minutes from Albany, were found at the residence.
James Provost, 59, of Schenectady, New York, was beaten to death and left with “several injuries” Wednesday in Albany around 6 p.m. at a home in the 500 block of Central Avenue.
When officers arrived, the man was being “actively attacked by several mixed breed pit bulls,” Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins said.
It is unclear why Provost was in the backyard and whether he had any relationship with the dogs or their owner. DailyMail.com has contacted the Albany Police Department for comment.
Nearby witnesses reported hearing Provost yell for help while the dogs barked, according to CBS 6.
The dog, an adult male, that was shot by the officer died from its injuries. The other 23 puppies were detained and placed in cages and are currently at the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society.
Hawkins said the dogs were not kept in a “traditional family environment,” but it is unclear how the dogs were “used,” he added.
“There are so many unanswered questions in this and we’re trying to work our way through it,” Hawkins said.
Of the nine adult dogs present at the scene, four had licenses, but their paperwork expired in March of this year, he explained.
According to city law, residents with dogs must register their animals annually with city hall.
The dog, an adult male, that was shot by the officer died from its injuries. The other 23 puppies were detained and placed in cages and are currently at the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society.
None of the five- to eight-week-old puppies were licensed.
According to police, there have been no previous calls or complaints at the residence regarding animals, including dogs.
A search warrant was conducted at that home in May related to drug activity, the chief said, adding that “several dogs were confiscated at that time.”
He clarified that the dogs were not the focus of the investigation and that they simply “happened to be in that place.”
Four or five other people were near the scene “in at least one of the units,” but it is unclear if they are connected or not.
Criminal charges may be filed against the dog’s owner, Hawkins said. The Albany Police Department is currently investigating.
Nearby witnesses reported hearing Provost scream for help while the dogs barked.
A heroic 13-year-old girl from Converse, Texas, “made every effort” to save a one-year-old boy from a pit bull, but tragically couldn’t prevent his death Monday.
Jiryiah Johnson was supposed to be in the care of his babysitter, Heather Rodriguez, 36, when his pit bulls attacked him inside his home.
Rodríguez had left the girl alone with her teenage daughter and the three violent dogs.
When the dogs began attacking the baby, the teen desperately tried to protect him, but ended up in a “tug of war over the baby” with one of the dogs, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said.
“She made every effort, even lifting the baby above her head, but my understanding is that the dog climbed onto something and was able to take the baby out of her hands,” she told KSAT.
