Two Pit Bull Terriers had the woman on the ground viciously attacking her. One with its teeth locked onto the woman’s leg, the other biting and pulling her arm. Grabbing their pistols, they ran to the elderly woman’s aid.
April 29, 2024
Busy in her kitchen preparing dinner, Cierra Medina’s evening was shattered by screams for help coming from the street in front of her home.
Looking out her kitchen window, Cierra saw her 72-year-old neighbor on the ground being viciously attacked by two Pit Bull Terriers. Shouting to her husband to watch her 8-month-old daughter, Cierra rushed out the front door of her home, with her Taurus 9mm in hand.
Screaming at the dogs to ‘STOP‘ and running up to the victim, who had one dog attached to her left arm and another with its jaws firmly locked onto her right leg, Cierra fired a shot into the ground hoping to scare the dogs and stop the attack. Regrettably, that did not occur. The dog clenched onto the woman’s arm, released its bite and backed off, but did not flee. The second dog with its grip on the woman’s leg was not deterred.
Cierra was then joined by her aunt Kristy Parks, who lives across the street.
Hearing the victim’s screams from inside her house, Kristy grabbed her Ruger LCP .380 and rushed out to join Cierra and assist the woman on the ground being mauled by the two dogs.
Cierra attempted to fire a second round at the dog that would not release its grip on the victim’s leg, only to discover her gun had jammed. Kristy then fired one round from her Ruger LCP .380, loaded with jacketed hollow points, striking the dog in the frontal chest. The dog remained unfazed and continued to bite and pull at the victim’s leg. Kristy fired again, striking the dog the second time broadside in the chest, causing it to release its grip and retreat.
While Kristy kept the dogs at bay, holding them at gunpoint, prepared to fire again, Cierra assisted the victim in crawling on her hands, elbows and knees to the front door of her home and inside to safety, leaving a trail of blood on the driveway sidewalk and porch.
With Kristy holding her gun on the two growling and snapping dogs, Cierra helped the victim into the house. The victim covered with blood, bleeding profusely from both her right arm and both her right and left leg. Cierra quickly administered what aid she could, fashioning improvised tourniquets in an attempt to control the bleeding.
During the commotion and hearing the gunshots, other neighbors appeared on the scene and called 911, while Kristy and Cierra rendered aid to their injured neighbor. Upon the arrival of EMS and a quick initial examination, the victim was immediately transported to Tampa General Hospital Trauma Center for treatment.
According to a written report by the Hillsborough County Animal Control, the victim sustained multiple lacerations and deep puncture wounds to both her right and left upper and lower legs, lower right arm, wrist and hand, which included “significant” tendon and arterial damage.
The wounded dog was euthanized on the scene by Hillsborough County animal control officers, after having been tased several times in an attempt to control it. The other dog was taken into custody and transported to Hillsborough County animal control.
There will be a ceremony recognizing Kristy and Cierra for their selfless, heroic actions Tuesday evening, May 14th, at 3812 Cypress Gardens Road, Winter Haven, FL beginning at 6:30 PM. The public is invited. Seating is limited.
The WFLA News Channel 8 – Tampa, FL news broadcast can be viewed HERE.
Florida, Brandon, Hillsborough County, pit bull, dog attack, animal attack, gun, pistol, GLOCK, Taurus, Kristy Parks, Cierra Medina
Praise God that these two ladies were home, that they were carrying citizens, and they were women who loves her neighbor! Praying for the elderly lady…
People need to keep their pets locked up or if your not responsible enough, then do not have them. I feel like the owners of the dogs should be put in jail.
Wow!! Thank you ladies. Should have called 911 before going out the door! Should have shot both dogs!!😡 How sad for that poor woman😢 deep wounds and emotional scars😫
Sorry Pam, but that is bad advice. The two women did the right thing in the right order. The rule is: remove the victim from the immediate danger first then call 911. Had either of the women taken the time to call 911 and report the incident, one minute or more, the 2 dogs could have inflicted greater injury, possibly severing more or large arteries or even attacking and biting the victim’s head or throat. The two heroines had the tools to neutralized the threat and did, then moved the victim to safety. At best, 911 help was 3-5 minutes away. The two women did the the right thing in the right order.