They put the bite on the crime stoppers.
A pair of New York metropolitan area men were busted after police said their pit bulls — “Salami Mami” and “Chocolate Chip” — mauled several Massachusetts cops during a raid on a suspected drug den.
Gabriel Blandino, 30, of the Bronx, and Jeffrey Salley, 35, of Yonkers, were arrested following the March 5 raid on an alleged drug-peddling operation at a Webster, Mass., snack shop — after their pooches attacked four cops and sent three to the hospital, WFXT-TV News said.
“What angers me more about this is the fact that this was a commercial establishment that was openly distributing narcotics,” Webster Police Chief Michael Shaw told the outlet.
“What angers me even more is the resistance the officers encountered by the males inside, and then the two pit bulls attacking them as they attempted to secure the individuals and the scene,” the chief added.
“I applaud the officers for their restraint.”
The scary encounter came around 1 p.m. on March 5, when police executed a search warrant with the FBI at Mr. Exotix’s snack shop in Webster as part of an investigation into under-the-counter drug sales.
Bodycam footage shows the two dogs viciously attacking the cops inside the retailer, sending three of them to the emergency room after police used a Taser and pepper spray to halt the assault. One officer needed 11 stitches in his left, Shaw said.
With the pit bulls out of action, police charged Salley with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, obstruction of justice and possession of a stun gun, WFXT reported.
Blandino was hit with the same drug counts and several gun and ammunition possession charges.
Meanwhile, the dogs are subject to a 10-day quarantine until animal control officials can determine if they were up to date on their rabies and other vaccinations.
“One of the great things about body cameras is that we can show the public and the community, this is what police are dealing with,” Shaw said.
“This is just not the kind of community that we want here in Webster. We’re trying to make it a better place.”
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