EAST VILLAGE — A pit bull shot by a police officer in a wild scene on East 14th Street Monday is alive and in a stable condition, officials said.
The female pit bull, named "Star," was shot near Second Avenue Monday about 4:16 p.m. after it charged at a cop approaching its owner, who was passed out on the sidewalk, police and a local social worker said.
Police said the dog died after the officer shot it a single time, but officials with Animal Care & Control of NYC confirmed Tuesday that the dog is alive and in the care of the organization.
"The dog is being provided medical care by Animal Care & Control of NYC and is in a stable condition at this time," said Richard Gentles, a press representative for ACC, which contracts with the city to rescue and care for homeless and abandoned pets.
The police officer had attempted to wake the dog's owner, who was asleep on the sidewalk at the corner outside a Kentucky Fried Chicken eatery, when the animal lunged at the officer, a police source said.
The man, who the source said was mentally ill, and the officer were both transported to local hospitals following the incident, an FDNY spokesman said. The officer suffered from ringing in his ears, an NYPD spokesman said.
Neighboring businesses, friends and residents who showed up at the scene said the young man had come to the U.S. from Poland, and that he and his dog frequented the busy corner.
Friends said that the man was 29 years old, suffered from epilepsy and had frequent seizures.
