On Friday, April 26, a 41-year-old Bronx man, Kaheem Robinson, was fatally mauled by his pit bull inside his apartment on Simpson Street.
Police officers shot the attacking dog to halt the brutal attack.
The incident occurred shortly after 3 a.m. when neighbors were awakened by screams and the distressing sounds of a struggle coming from Robinson’s apartment.
According to eyewitness accounts, the dog had managed to break out of its cage, and despite efforts to contain it, it attacked Robinson, targeting his neck and legs.
Two NYPD officers responded to the emergency call and were forced to shoot the dog, named Max, after they found it clamped onto Robinson’s throat. The officers fired three shots to neutralize the threat, unfortunately not before Robinson was critically injured.
Gilbert, a neighbor who lives down the hall from Robinson, reported hearing the commotion and the chilling sounds of the attack. “You could hear the biting,” Gilbert recounted. “That dog was really tearing him up.” He promptly called 911, and within minutes, police arrived, had to force entry to the apartment, and took action against the aggressive animal.
Deborah Graham, who was with Robinson at the time of the attack, described a harrowing scene inside the apartment, with the dog unconfined and aggressive. Robinson had only recently acquired Max, purportedly to help cope with the grief of losing his 18-year-old daughter to cancer a couple of years ago, according to his relatives.
Robinson, who had been living in the apartment for less than a year after moving from various shelters, might not have had the necessary permission to house the dog in the building, which requires registration and approval for pets.
Following the shooting, emergency services rushed Robinson to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead due to his injuries. The responding officers were also taken to an area hospital and were treated for tinnitus caused by the gunfire.
Family members described Robinson as a caring person who had worked as a home attendant. His sister, Kayesha Barnett, and her husband Thomas, who also own pit bulls, emphasized that the breed itself is not to blame but suggested that the temperament of individual animals can vary significantly. “Our dogs are like kittens,” Thomas said, illustrating the often peaceful nature of their pets.
This incident has deeply affected the community and Robinson’s family, who are still coming to terms with the circumstances of the attack.
