DETROIT (WXYZ/CNN) – A 53-year-old woman yelled to her neighbor for help when she was attacked by a dog, but as he tried to rescue her, the man accidentally shot and killed her.
Police say Patricia Cosby, 53, was walking through a Detroit neighborhood on her way to go babysit Monday night when she was attacked by a stray dog.
Cosby reportedly yelled to her friend and neighbor Michael Williams for help.
"[He] attempted to be a Good Samaritan, came up – he was a CPL [concealed pistol license] holder – produced his handgun and fired several shots. Unfortunately, one of the shots struck the woman,” said Capt. Darin Szilagy with the Detroit Police Department.
Williams says the accident “hurt me so bad.”
The victim was transported to the hospital where she died shortly after arrival.
Investigators say it will be up to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office if any charges will be filed.
“Everyone’s responsible for the bullet that comes out of your gun,” Szilagy said. "It's a very difficult situation. We feel terrible for the woman and her family, and I feel terrible for the man who was trying to truly help someone. It's a lose-lose situation here.”
Cosby’s family says they wouldn’t want to press charges if Williams was trying to help their loved one.
Investigators are still searching for the dog involved in the incident. They believe it was hit at least once.
"We've done a pretty extensive grid search in the neighborhood looking for this animal, be it deceased or wounded, and we have not located it,” Szilagy said.
Cosby is survived by several family members, including her stepmother, her father and a son who has special needs.
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