A Jeannette man is facing criminal charges after his pit bull allegedly escaped a secured area and attacked a police K-9 while officers were assisting the FBI with a warrant search on Adams Avenue.
Gino Ferrari, 63, was arrested Sept. 11 in connection with the incident, according to the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office. The dog attack happened in July, when Jeannette police were assisting an FBI task force searching for a wanted person at a residence on Adams Avenue.
According to investigators, Ferrari told officers that the person they were looking for was not inside the residence. He then consented to a search after being allowed to remove his dog from the area.
Police said Ferrari was permitted to go inside and secure the pit bull. Shortly afterward, officers heard the dog barking and saw it move aggressively toward a fence in the direction of Jeannette police K-9 Diesel and his handler.
The dog reportedly got over the fence and attacked Diesel, biting into the K-9’s neck area. Officers attempted to use a Taser to stop the attack, but the effort was unsuccessful. Police ultimately used pepper spray to make the dog release its grip.
Diesel was taken to a local veterinary hospital for treatment. Investigators said the K-9 suffered puncture wounds on the left side of his neck as well as scratches.
The incident also led investigators to ask about the dog’s previous behavior. While officers were at the scene, a witness reportedly told police that the same dog had attempted to go after another person who was walking a dog. The witness also alleged that the pit bull had killed a puppy. Those claims are part of the information reported to investigators and are not presented as independently established facts.
Ferrari faces charges related to injuries to a police dog, recklessly endangering another person and killing or inflicting severe injury on a domestic animal, according to the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office.
The case record identifies the location as Adams Avenue in Jeannette and states that the criminal charges remain allegations. Ferrari is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
