ADAMS, Mass. – A man killed his neighbor with a crossbow while trying to save him from a pit bull attack on Wednesday, according to the authorities in Massachusetts.
Berkshire District Attorney Andrea Harrington says the incident happened at an apartment in Adams and it’s believed to be accidental.
Officers with the Adams Police Department responded to the incident shortly after 12 p.m. after receiving a report of a mauling in progress.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found two mature male pit bulls, both with a history of aggression, “engaging in a volatile confrontation,” Harrington said.
Harrington says the dogs then turned the attack on the officers who used their service weapons to shoot and kill the animals. Officials say the pit bulls had a history of being aggressive and that one had previously attacked a person.
After securing the scene, investigators found the victim’s body with a fatal crossbow injury inside the apartment and an unarmed child in a nearby room.
Investigators believe a neighbor heard the commotion from the dog attack, called police and then entered the apartment. Harrington says the neighbor then got a crossbow and shot at the dogs.
“The arrow struck one of the dogs, went through a door, and then struck the individual being mauled as he was attempting to barricade himself from the attack,” wrote Harrington.
The neighbor is cooperating with law enforcement as the incident is being investigated.
The district attorney doesn’t anticipate bringing criminal charges.