Woman injured in dog attack flown to Albuquerque for treatment

Thomas Garcia

QCS Senior Writer

Tucumcari Police officer shot and killed a pitbull dog that attacked a woman who was then airlifted to an Albuquerque hospital for her injuries, according to Chief Jason Braziel.

“We are still trying to find the owner of the stray dog that attacked and injured Brittany Kam, 20, and her family’s dog,” Braziel said.

Braziel said officers received a call at 3:31 p.m., Oct. 9 about two pitbull dogs fighting at a residence on the 1700 block of South Adams Street. He said that upon arrival, Officer Eric Padilla saw a woman on the ground with lacerations and bite marks to both her arms.

According to Braziel, Kam told Padilla that a stray dog had gotten into her family’s yard and attacked their dog, which was tied up.

Kam told officers that she tried to break the dogs apart but was bitten on the arms, Braziel said.

According to Braziel, Padilla said that while speaking with Kam he heard the dogs continuing to fight in the back yard. He summoned emergency medical services to assist Kam, then went to the back yard and attempted unsuccessfully to separate the dogs using his police baton.

Padilla said Sgt. Bryan Holmes arrived and joined him in the back yard as the stray dog pinned the family’s dog on its back and started biting it on the throat. Holmes then drew his service weapon and shot the stray dog once, killing it, Braziel said.

Kam was transported to Dan C. Trigg Memorial Hospital where she received treatment, but her injuries required her to be transported to Albuquerque for further treatment, Brziel said, and as of Friday morning, Kam’s condition was not known.

The family’s dog survived the attack, Braziel said.

Police are trying to find the owner of the stray dog that attacked Kam, according to Braziel.

Neither Kam nor her family were available immediately for comment.