Pit Bull Attacks And Kills Elderly Woman in Alsip: Police

ALSIP, IL -- A dog attacked and killed a 77-year-old woman Monday afternoon in Alsip, police said. The elderly woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Alsip police said the woman lived in the residence where the attack happened.

Around 3:34 p.m., Alsip police officers were dispatched to 11604 S. Komensky for a report of a person being attacked by a dog. When officers arrived, they found the woman down in the home’s backyard. Officers tried to render aid to the woman, but she was already deceased. The dog, described by police as a 6-year-old pit bull, continued to act aggressively to the police, so officers shot the dog and killed it.

“It was pretty horrific,” said Deputy Chief Shawn Schuldt of the Alsip Police Department. “If I go through the rest of my career without seeing something like this, that would be a good thing. I feel extremely bad for the family and we offer them our condolences.”

Schudt said the dog was a family pet. Police have not had any prior complaints from neighbors about the dog acting aggressively toward people or other pets. The dog was well fed and well cared for. Officers found no signs of foul play or mistreatment of the dog in the home.

“It’s one of those things no one will ever know,” Schudt said. “We consider our dogs members of the family, but at the end of the day dogs are still animals and that sometimes lends itself to odd behavior.”