Officer saves man from dogs

Keith Paul

Friday, May 5, 2000 | 11:06 a.m.

A Southwest Gas worker's best friend didn't turn out to be a dog, but a Metro Police officer with a container of pepper spray.

Charles Hildebrandt jumped a fence in order to read the gas meter at a house in the 1100 block of King Richard Avenue near Swenson Street and Hacienda Avenue Wednesday at about 11:30 a.m.

But he was confronted by an Akita and a pit bull, which belong to the homeowner, who was not home at the time. The Akita started biting him and he yelled out for help.

"The neighbors heard someone yelling for help," said Sgt. Rory Tuggle of the southeast substation.

But Tuggle said it wasn't just someone yelling help it was more like someone yelling "Help me. Help me, for God sake help me."

Officer Harry Fagel was called to the house and found Hildebrandt cornered and bleeding.

"Every time he'd try to get over the fence, the Akita would bite his leg and pull him back," Fagel said. "I'm sure it was a terrifying experience."

"I knew that I needed to cover the guy so he could get up on the wall," Fagel said.

Officer Craig Olson borrowed a neighbor's ladder to help Hildebrandt climb over the fence.

That's where the can of pepper spray came in to play. Fagel gave both dogs a short squirt in the face, distracting the dogs long enough for Hildebrandt to escape.

Hildebrandt was listed this morning in fair condition in UMC with numerous bites.