Aggressive dog shot and killed by Round Lake Beach Police

A Round Lake Beach police officer shot and killed a dog that was acting aggressively toward neighbors and had lunged at police, authorities said Wednesday.

John Townsend, 40, of the 1600 block of Lotus Drive in Round Lake Beach, was charged with having a dog at large, harboring a dangerous dog, and not having proper rabies or inoculations for his German shepherd prior to it being shot at 10:52 a.m. Tuesday, Deputy Police Chief Rich Chiarello said.

Officers were called to the 1600 block of Woodridge Drive because a 74-year-old man and an unidentified neighbor were holding a stick toward the dog and trying to keep it from attacking, Chiarello said.

The neighbor saw the dog lunge at the elderly man, so he intervened, officials said.

As officers exited the vehicle, the German shepherd lunged at them but did not bite, Chiarello said. He said a second dog was also in the vicinity and barking at officers.

Officers called out for the dog’s owner, as the German shepherd continued to lunge at them, Chiarello said.

The third time the dog jumped forward to attack, Chiarello said, an officer fearing for his safety, shot the animal once. The dog didn’t stop and the officer fired two more shots to kill it, he said.

After the shooting, the other dog ran back to Townsend’s house. Townsend, the owner of both dogs, arrived and said the dog had escaped the yard through his fence.

Both witnesses released statements claiming they feared for their lives, Chiarello said, and saw the dog attempt to attack the officer.