SHARON

Sharon police said they were forced to shoot a dog that had been tormenting residents and was a danger to children in the 500 block of Cedar Avenue.

Police were called just before 9 a.m. Sunday about an aggressive, loose dog that had chased a man several times over the past few days, police said. The man told police the German shepherd jumped out of bushes on his property and tried to bite him Saturday, and Sunday morning the dog was again on his property and chased him.

The neighbor told police the dog's owner, Patrick Bailey, hadn't been home for a few days. He said he left a message for Bailey on his cellular phone but hadn't heard from him, police said.

Police gave the following account of the incident:

While police were waiting for an animal control agent to arrive the dog approached a paperboy making his deliveries and a patrolman. The dog was barking and bearing its teeth.

The patrolman put the boy behind him and tried to stop the dog with pepper spray. After several sprays the dog lay down on the sidewalk.

The patrolman took the boy across the street to the C.M. Musser Elementary School playground, where a grandmother and several children were.

The dog watched the patrolman for awhile and then approached him and the children again, barking and bearing its teeth.

Once the dog was within 12 feet of the group, the patrolman drew his gun and sprayed the dog with pepper spray again but it didn't stop the dog.

The patrolman then shot the dog three times. The dog ran back to its owners' porch and then approached on the patrolman again. The patrolman fired at the dog 27 times until it was dead.

The dog was not wearing tags or a collar, police said.

Police said this morning they hadn't been able to contact Bailey.