Dogs Attack Law Enforcement Attempting to Arrest Winder Man

Barrow County law enforcement were attempting to make an arrest Dec. 9, 2012, when a suspect's dogs attacked. One of the animals was killed after being shot while reportedly leaping open-mouthed at a Barrow County Sheriff's Office deputy. 

Officers with the Winder Police Department had responded to the area of Williamson Street and East Athens Street, where the deputy said a red Ford truck had struck a stop sign before leaving the scene. A business owner told police the driver of the truck lived on Athens Avenue. When an officer made contact with the suspect, he said the truck was his, that his brakes had failed and, unable to stop, he hit the sign. According to an incident report, the suspect had bloodshot eyes, smelled of alcohol and had a large dog sitting at his feet on a chain. 

When a second, unleashed dog began to approach, the officer told the suspect to put his dogs in his house. 

"The unrestrained dog approached me and began to sniff me," the officer wrote in the report. "I drew my firearm and pointed it at the dog and told [the suspect] that if his dog bit me or touched me, I would shoot the dog."

The suspect then put the dogs inside the home and locked himself inside as well, telling the officer they could speak through the door. The deputy and officer then approached the door as the suspect opened it slightly, and the officer was able to keep the door from closing while the deputy grabbed the suspect and took him to the ground. One of the dogs then began to bite and claw at the deputy and the officer attempted to fight it off while holding the suspect. Two additional deputies entered the residence and Tased the suspect, who was then placed in handcuffs.

As the suspect was receiving medical attention, a second dog approached a deputy in the front yard. The deputy fired two rounds at the animal before it leapt, open-mouthed, at the deputy. A third dog approached the deputy but turned and ran into the woods when the deputy fired a shot at it. The second dog died from its injuries.

Barrow County Animal Control was called in to contain the remaining dogs.

According to the Winder Police Department incident report, the suspect, 33-year-old Damon Antonio Kinney of 38 Atlanta Ave. in Winder, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, hit and run, property damage and obstruction before being transported to Barrow Regional Medical Center for medical treatment. Kinney was booked into the Barrow County Detention Center on Dec. 11 and booking information lists charges as two misdemeanor counts of willful obstruction of law enforcement officers and willful obstruction of law enforcement officers by use of threats, a felony charge. 

You might also be interested in reading: 

• Key Stuck in Car Ignition Allows Vehicle Theft but Thief Doesn't Get Far
• Barrow Docket Book for Dec. 7-9
• Car Crash in Barrow County Kills Two
• Barrow County Firefighter Facing Child Porn Charges Fired

Subscribe to Barrow Patch’s newsletters, follow us on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook.