Berkeley police fatally shot a pit bull in West Oakland on Tuesday night after the dog attacked an officer during a search warrant operation, officials have reported.
According to scanner recordings reviewed by Berkeleyside, an officer also received an accidental graze wound from a bullet shot at the dog during the confrontation. Officer Stephanie Polizziani, a department spokeswoman, confirmed after publication Wednesday that the officer who was bitten also received a non-life-threatening gunshot injury, but said she was limited by privacy laws as to what she could say about it.
Tuesday at about 9:25 p.m., Berkeley Police officers assigned to the Special Enforcement Unit were executing a search warrant at a home in the 1000 block of 28th Street when two pit bulls at the residence “confronted” them, police said in a statement.
“One of the dogs attacked a BPD officer, biting the officer on the hand,” police said. “The dog was shot and killed.”
The second dog was restrained.
The officer was treated for the injuries and released from a local hospital.
Police arrested Travis Fugit, 32, of Oakland at the scene on suspicion of felony identity theft. He was taken to Berkeley Jail for booking. Fugit appears to have been released from jail on bail, according to online records from the Alameda County sheriff’s department.
Update, Dec. 10, 5 p.m. Police confirmed Thursday in response to a request from Berkeleyside that two other people were arrested in connection with this case. According to online records from the Alameda County sheriff’s department, police also arrested Lorna Morales, who is no longer in custody, on suspicion of two narcotics-related felonies. They also arrested Barron Cusick, 42, in connection with two felony identity theft violations and grand theft. Cusick is being held with a bail of $825,000 at Berkeley Jail.
All three are scheduled for arraignment Friday at 2 p.m. at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse in downtown Oakland.
Update, Dec. 16: According to online records from the Alameda County sheriff’s department, identity theft charges were filed against Cusick and Terrence Humphreys, 24. Cusick remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail with a bail of $500,000. Humphreys, who was arrested in Emeryville at 7 p.m. Dec. 8, is also at Santa Rita, with a bail of $275,000. They are scheduled for a pretrial hearing Dec. 17.
[This story was updated after publication to include additional information about the shooting.]
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