An Arkansas man was brutally mauled to death in a vicious dog attack by seven pit bull terriers.
De’trick Johnson, 36, of Pine Bluff went to have his car serviced at CJ’s Garage on Saturday morning when immediately upon his arrival, the pack of seven dogs charged underneath a fence and attacked him.
Johnson was found on the ground when responding officers arrived, and it appeared he was still alive, according to Jefferson County Sheriff’s spokesman Major Lafayette Woods Jr.
Johnson was later pronounced dead at the scene.
While police encountered the ‘aggressive dogs’, four of the pit bulls were shot and killed, two were captured and taken by Pine Bluff Animal Control and one fled from the scene.
On Saturday, police were still searching for the brown and white pit bull that got away.
A long-time friend of Johnson’s, John Smith III, who is also the son of the garage’s owner, John Chester Smith, said that this is not the first time the pit bulls have attacked someone, according to KATV.
He said another person was bit by the pit bull terriers just days before Johnson’s death.
Smith III said: ‘You are my dad. I love you. De’trick, I love him too. But it’s one thing about it, you [John Chester Smith] are going to need to be held accountable for the decision that you made.
‘I didn’t fool with those dogs and I wasn’t aware that he had that many dogs, but I knew he had a couple of them. I didn’t know they were that vicious.’
Police were called to the garage at 9.53am after a neighbor who witnessed the attack called the authorities for help.
Major Woods said one cop tried to use his Taser on one of the dogs that charged at him but had to resort to lethal force after it had no effect, according to Arkansas Online.
‘The deputy hit his air horn and tried to exit his vehicle. When he did that, he gained attention of at least one of the dogs,’ said Woods.
‘The dog charged him and jumped in the car. The deputy tased the dog, and the dog continued to be combative and be aggressive. The deputy ended up actually shooting the dog.’
Johnson’s sister, Akimi Johnson, said she was ‘not prepared’ for what happened to her brother and wants something to be done.
She said: ‘I believe the dogs should have been tied up. If anyone goes to a garage to receive service, they should not be fearful or have to run and be afraid because dogs are a-loose.’
Johnson added: ‘He didn’t deserve to die like that. It was senseless and I want something to be done because that could have been a child or anyone else’s brother.’
Smith III along with his mom and the owner’s sisters had previously told Smith to get rid of the dogs.
‘I’m not just speaking because its De’trick. I am speaking on the behalf of the other victims because he wasn’t the first,’ said Smith III.
‘He wasn’t the second or the third there was about four to five people that had been attacked by these same dogs.’
No arrests have been made and the investigation is on-going.
