A man suspected of trespassing on fenced state property in Vallejo cut loose a pit bull dog as he was being chased by Vallejo police Thursday morning, Lt. Sid DeJesus said. The dog was killed after it attacked one of the officers who arrested the man, DeJesus said.

The incident began at 10:47 a.m. Thursday when uniformed Vallejo officers were participating in the Safenet patrol operation in the vicinity of Broadway Street and Lewis Brown Drive, DeJesus said.

Officers said they saw a person trespassing inside the fenceline that was marked with signs that warn against trespassing, he said.

The officers attempted to contact the man, but he ran away, unheeding their orders to stop, DeJesus said, and two officers followed the man as he ran toward a homeless encampment in the area and was out of view for a few moments.

“The area was contained in a very densely populated area of thick brush on another part of the same property, with several other homeless persons moving about,” he said.

But the officers spotted the suspect, who was hiding in some of that dense brush, he said.

As the officers began to take the man into custody, an adult pit bull left one of the encampments and attacked one of the officers, DeJesus said.

“The pit bull bit down on the officer and then began to violently pull the officer around the property,” he said.

“The officer was able to kick the pit bull away to gain some distance, however the dog stood its ground and continued to aggressively run toward the officer to initiate another attack.”

DeJesus said the officer feared being bitten again, and fired a single shot to the dog to prevent an attack on himself, the other officer or the suspect. “The pit bull was mortally wounded,” he said.

Witnesses said that while the suspect was trying to elude police, he cut the line that had fastened the dog to a tent. The dog’s owner was found and said his dog was familiar with the suspect, who knew the dog would be likely to attack a uniformed officer.

The bitten officer suffered a moderate wound to his right leg. He was treated at a local hospital but was not admitted, DeJesus said. The second officer suffered minor cuts and scrapes when he was pulled into the dense brush by the suspect, he said.

DeJesus said Vallejo police had concentrated the patrol in the area because in the past they had responded to calls reporting problems associated with transients and homeless encampments, “and the unsafe conditions and fire hazards which these encampments present.”

He said, “These homeless encampments and those associated have affected the quality of life for many of the residents who reside in the area.”

The suspect, identified by DeJesus as Matthew Vallejos, was booked into Solano County Jail, Fairfield, after being charged with obstructing or delaying a police officer, obstructing a police officer in the performance of duties, attempted violence, violation of probation and cruelty to animals.

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