Cell phone video shows Pasadena police officers shooting three dogs after they attacked 37-year-old Andrew Ross. One of the dogs was killed as the officers responded to a 911 call from a neighbor early Wednesday morning. Hetty Chang reports from Pasadena for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014.
A Pasadena man described being attacked by dogs before police arrived and shot the animals, killing one of the dogs.
Andrew Ross, 32, had Band-Aids covering the cuts and bruises he got from what he described as a terrifying encounter with three dogs Wednesday morning.
Ross was walking his bike near the 1400 block of North Fair Oaks Avenue at about 5 a.m. when he said he heard something coming toward him.
"I heard some nails, you know, fingernails, about 12 of them," he said. "By the time I turned around ... teeth."
Ross said one dog, which Pasadena Police believe to be pit bulls or pit bull mixes, seemed like the "size of an SUV" in his mind.
"I'm kinda backpedaling, (it was) like a scary movie I guess," he said, adding that his only thought was, "get the hell out of the way."
Ross, who said he owns a large bulldog and called himself a "dog lover," used his bike as a shield before he ran across the street and jumped onto the roof of a car.
"(There was) a lot of screaming, ‘Help, help, somebody!’" said Sonia Canolles, who called 911.
Pasadena police officers arrived and can be heard on cell phone video obtained by NBC4 telling people to get back inside.
The video shows the dogs walking south. As the video continues, it shows an officer approaching the dogs. The dogs then come toward the officer and the officer discharges his firearm.
Two dogs survived and were being treated by a veterinarian Wednesday. One dog died at the scene.
"He got in close proximity, but the dog kept coming at him, and ultimately (the officer) had to shoot the dog," said Pasadena Police Lt. Tracey Ibarra.
"Although we believe these dogs were some pit bull type, it's not the reason this happened,” Ibarra said. “It happened because someone didn't keep their dog secure."
Police were still looking for the owner of the dogs Wednesday evening.
