One dog died and another is injured following the arrest of two men early Saturday after they reportedly ignored commands from Gainesville Police.
At about 4:30 a.m., police responded to 2240 NW 42nd Ave. after someone called to report loud voices and arguing, Gainesville Police spokesman Officer Ben Tobias wrote in an email.
Upon arrival, officers saw Robert B. Reed, 45, and Jeffery L. Laughlin, 40, holding an injured man who police said was slipping in and out of consciousness.
Police asked to evaluate the man for injuries, according to a police report. Reed and Laughlin both refused, and officers eventually had to pull them away.
While officers were talking with Reed, Laughlin’s son’s dog got loose and attacked police dog Brady, according to the report.
Officers tried to get the dog off Brady, but they were unsuccessful and ended up firing three shots, which hit the dog, Tobias said.
The dog ran to a nearby wooded area and was found dead shortly after. Brady had a broken toe and had to have a bullet taken out of his foot. He is in a cast but doing well, Tobias said.
It was later determined the injured man was attacked earlier in the night at a separate location.
Police arrested Laughlin on one charge of resisting an officer without violence and an unrelated charge of withholding child support. Officers took him to the Alachua County Jail where he remained as of press time in lieu of a $6,000 bond.
Officers arrested Reed on one charge of resisting an officer without violence. Police took him to the Alachua County Jail where he remained as of press time in lieu of a $5,000 bond.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 4/6/2015 under the headline “Gainesville Police dog injured after fight with another dog”]
