2 pit bulls attack man's son, son's dog

Son stabs 1 dog, kills it in self-defense

ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. – An Atlantic Beach woman whose dangerous pit bulls were euthanized three years ago because they terrorized neighbors is in trouble with police once again.

This time, her new pit bulls attacked a man and his dog, and the man who was attacked said the aftermath left his garage splattered in blood.

The owner of the home on Seminole Road told police she doesn't know how her pit bulls escaped out of her house, but once they got out, police said they traveled with a pack mentality.

Eugene Kemp said what happened in his garage last Friday night is still hard to talk about. He said two angry pit bulls came out of nowhere and clamped down on his son's smaller dog's neck.

"It was extremely traumatic, it really was," Kemp said. "It was a disturbing, horrific scene. The violence and the savagery of it was a lot for us to get past for a couple days, in fact. It's still a nasty thing for us to think about. It was like Charles Manson had been in my garage."

Kemp said the pit bull named Minnie and another pit bull that ended up being stabbed to death, wouldn't let go until his son, Jared, grabbed one of the dogs and subdued it with his hands. Jared held the pit bull down until the dog bit him.

"He pulled his head out somehow and clamped down on Jared's arm, and that's when he had to grab the knife and defend himself," Kemp said.

"He proceeded to stab that dog multiple times," said Atlantic Beach Police Chief Mike Classey. "It didn't immediately die. That other dog circled and continued to show aggression to those in the garage."

Classey said the other dog eventually ran away. Police learned the dogs' owner, Suzzane Laviseur, had a history of taking in rescued pit bulls. She's testified in front of the City Commission in 2012, and the commission later had her dogs euthanized.

Police said they had hoped she learned her lesson.

"We really hoped they would get the message that's it's the owner's responsibility to control their dog," Classey said.

Police said Laviseur may face charges when the investigation is complete.

If the pit bull is deemed a dangerous dog, it may be euthanized, police said.


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Tarik anchors the 4, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. weekday newscasts and reports with the I-TEAM.