A dog shot down by police in front of a preschool on Long Island is believed to be the canine that mauled a woman in the area late last month.
Police said the dog was shot near a North Merrick complex that included a chiropractor's office and an early childhood development center at Jerusalem Avenue and Meadowbrook Road.
According to authorities, the dog was spotted running in and out of the woods alongside Meadowland Parkway a short time before it was shot.
It was pursued by police on the ground and in the air, and was followed to the commercial center.
"It's been on the run, it's angry, it's probably hungry," said Detective Lt. Kevin Smith at the scene. "All caution was used at this location in trying to subdue the dog, but when the dog turned toward the officers, they were forced to fire."
The animal has been removed from the scene and was taken to the town of Hempstead, where the owner of the dog will be brought in to identify it.
Police have been searching for one of the two dogs that attacked a woman Sept. 29 as she finished her walk outside the Brookside school in North Merrick.
Surveillance video of the attack showed two dogs, one light brown and the other darker-colored, ripping at the victim's head, arms and legs, according to police. The attack was unprovoked.
The victim, identified by a neighbor as Sashi Sharma, 62, called 911 during the attack. Three officers arrived and opened fire on the dogs, killing one.
Local
The other escaped and had been on the loose since then.
Police said Monday the owners of both dogs have been identified, but no charges are expected to be filed because there was no evidence the dogs were mistreated or trained to fight.
