Black Indiana Deputy Killed, Son Injured After Being Attacked By ‘Pit-Bull Type Dog’

A dog attack claimed the life of a Black Indiana Deputy.

CBS News reported a Black woman was killed after suffering from a dog attack in Indianapolis. The victim has been identified as Marion County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Tamieka White, who was found in an area surrounding a garage of a home in Indianapolis. Her eight-year-old son received non-life-threatening wounds from the attack.

White was pronounced dead at scene.

According to reports numerous dogs were found at the home when officers arrived. One dog, described as “actively aggressive” was shot, but has not been identified as the dog that attacked White and her child. Indianapolis Animal Care Services was called to the scene, where they took three live dogs, one dead dog, and one cat.

In a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office, her team wrote, “She was a bright light to everyone, and will be missed by all who knew her. We will work tirelessly to uphold her memory.”

Indy Star reported the department can’t confirm the dog breeds without proper DNA testing, but all the captured dogs appeared to be “pitbull-type.” White had been with the agency since 2007, serving in the Judicial Enforcement Division. That department catered to the transportation of inmates to and from court, collection of delinquent taxes, and serving legal process papers.

Sheriff Kerry Forestal remembered her colleague as a “bright light” to those who knew her and said the agency was grateful for more than 15 years of service. Brittany Seligman, a commander overseeing White, recalled her always having a smile on her face, and how she loved to play billiards. “Anyone who challenged her would quickly learn that they couldn’t stand at the table with Deputy White,” Seligman said.

The rise in dog attacks this year in the U.S. is concerning. According to CBS News, earlier this month, a woman was injured and a baby fell victim to a dog attack in Iowa. Another attack in Texas happened in March, leaving a man in his 80s dead and three others severely injured.