The Daily Republic, Solano County, Calif. 09/11/10

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Two women were out for a jog in Fairfield, Calif. when three vicious dogs attacked them. Resident Gary Paque heard the women screaming, retrieved his 9mm handgun, ran to the scene and shot one of the dogs. Paque’s gun jammed after firing, but another neighbor, John Bettencourt, also heard the screams and came with his .45-caliber handgun. Paque later described the scene to the local media, stating, “(The first victim) was on the ground and there were three dogs trying to pull her apart … They had their teeth in her. She was screaming. I shot the one dog, and he just dropped… Then my neighbor got his .45.” Bettencourt shot the dogs several times, ending the attack. The joggers were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Fairfield Police Officer Joseph Holecek was supportive of Paque and Bettencourt’s actions stating, “They probably saved her life.”

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