Central City Police have arrested a 32-year-old Central City man on multiple charges in the aftermath of up to six of his dogs being involved in a vicious attack of a 26-year-old Centralia man riding his bike.
Dustin Atchison, who resides on Charlotte Street, just over a block away from where the attack occurred on Patterson Street, has been ticketed for six counts of cruelty to an animal and allowing a dog to run at large.
The Centralia bicyclist, whose name is not being released because of the pending investigation, was reportedly riding his bike on Patterson Street when the dogs approached around 8:15 Saturday morning. He tried to get away from the dogs on the porch of a nearby home, but the attack continued until police arrived after being notified by a passerby.
Central City Police Chief Jamie Ramsey says that as police and medical crews tried to apply three tourniquets to stop the man’s bleeding from the deep wounds, two of the dogs continued to try to attack and had to be shot. He reports the other dogs continued to roam nearby. With fears a number of children who live in the area could be attacked when coming outside, Central City Police and Marion County Animal Control agreed the dogs couldn’t continue to run lose. At that point, four of the dogs were shot and killed. A fifth was wounded, and a sixth was captured without being shot. The wounded and unhurt dog were taken to the Marion County Animal Control facility.
The victim was originally taken to SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Centralia and later airlifted to a St. Louis hospital, where police say he remained in critical condition on Sunday.
Police say Atchison returned home after learning police were near his home. He indicated the dogs had escaped from a fence. Ramsey said the dogs appeared to have no food or water.
Atchison, who drove up to the scene, also faces traffic citations. He was ticketed for driving on a suspended license, having suspended registration, and no valid registration. He was given a notice to appear on the animal and traffic violations.
Ramsey says the attack was all recorded on videotape at the residence where the bicyclist tried to get away from the dogs.
