Spartanburg police officer shoots pit bull that bites him while serving warrant

A pit bull bit a police officer as he was serving a warrant Tuesday morning along Wofford Street in Spartanburg.

The dog bite occurred around 8 a.m. outside the Wofford Street home as the officer had come to the property to serve a warrant.

The officer shot the dog during the scuffle, but the dog was not critically injured, said Maj. Art Littlejohn, a spokesman for the Spartanburg Police Department.

The officer was bitten on the leg, but the injury was not serious, Littlejohn said.

He said he was unsure of the nature of the arrest warrant.

The pit bull was taken away from the home by Spartanburg Animal Services. Officer Jessica Burdine said the dog, Smokey, had been shot in the side. She said a veterinarian will inspect the dog and determine the extent of the injuries.

Burdine said the pit bull did not have its rabies vaccination and the dog owner did not have a city license for the animal.

She said both offenses combined would have been a more than $500 fine so the owner opted to sign the dog over to the city to avoid prosecution. She said the dog will go to Spartanburg’s animal shelter once it receives medical treatment.

The (Spartanburg) Herald-Journal