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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Owner of dog that bit police officer charged with assault

By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer

A man who allegedly unleashed his pit bull on a police detective during a confrontation in a Kapahulu parking lot, prompting the officer to shoot the dog, has been charged with assault and terroristic threatening.

Authorities charged Joseph A. Flaherty with one count of assaulting a law enforcement officer, one count of second-degree assault and one count of first-degree terroristic threatening. His bail was set at $75,000.

The dog survived the shooting.

The incident began at 7:10 p.m. on Jan. 14 in the parking lot of the Safeway Kapahulu complex on Kapahulu Avenue. Police Detective Gary Lahens was at Seattle's Best Coffee shop when he noticed a car parked in an aisle, blocking other vehicles, a police affidavit said.

Lahens asked the driver to move his car because it was blocking other vehicles. Lahens identified himself as a police officer and displayed his badge.

Flaherty began yelling and swearing at Lahens, said the affidavit, which was filed in court. Flaherty picked up a shopping cart and held it in a manner suggesting he intended to throw it at Lahens.

Lahens drew his gun, pointed it at Flaherty and ordered him to put the cart down. Flaherty did.

Lahens ordered Flaherty to hold on to his dog. Instead, Flaherty dropped the leash and the dog jumped at Lahens, biting him in the abdomen. Lahens pushed the dog away and fired one round into the dog's chest, the affidavit said.

The dog retreated toward a building and Flaherty ran after it, yelling that Lahens "shot my dog," the affidavit said.

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.