Detroit Dogs Attack & Kill 4-Year-Old Child In Front Of Mother
Lucille Strickland was walking to a Detroit elementary school with her 4-year-old son, Xaviar, when four pit bulls attacked them both. After she was knocked over, the dogs brutally mauled her son right before her eyes. In spite of Lucille’s and several neighbors’ attempts to fight off the dogs, Xavier was injured beyond recovery by the time police officials arrived on the scene.
“They were so strong. They just snatched him.”
Strickland and Xavier were headed to his school, Thurgood Marshall Elementary, when the four pit bulls charged them out of nowhere. The dogs struck both of them down together. Strickland’s instinctive reaction was to fall over her child and shield him from the onslaught, but was attacked herself, sustaining injuries on her back, ear, and leg. Stumbling to get to her feet, she was helpless to stop the four huge pit bulls from ripping Xavier out of her arms — in seconds, they’d dragged him under a fence.
Strickland recalled the horrific memory of watching her son ripped to shreds behind the fence while she watched, helpless:
“That will never leave my eyes. Never leave my mind.”
Soon after, neighbors came running with sticks and crow bars. In spite of every effort to fight off the vicious dogs, nobody was able to reach Xavier until police officers arrived. Their response was fast — three of the four pit bulls were shot to death immediately and the fourth was confined.
But the situation was grim from the start. Xavier Strickland passed away at a hospital later that day. According to Thursday’s autopsy conducted by the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office, Xavier’s death was caused by a great number of puncture wounds.
Where Was The Dogs’ Owner?!
Yes — where in the hell was the owner of the four angry pit bulls running around the neighborhood in an unsupervised pack? Who let them loose? Who didn’t notice they were gone? And who, WHO, trained them?
Answer: Geneke Lyons, a 41-year-old man who lives in Strickland’s neighborhood. He was charged for the second-degree murder of Xavier Strickland, along with possession of dogs causing death and manslaughter. And as of yet, neither he nor whoever his lawyer is have commented on the case.
And worse, apparently his standards of dog ownership are nothing new.
Several neighbors have voiced that they’ve seen the pit bulls running loose before. One young man was confronted by them on his way to work within the past month:
“I had to wait in the house till they went past.”
Another neighbor mentioned being frightened by the dogs more than once:
“You never know when they’re going to get out.”
Dog Bite Crimes: They’re Real, And They’re Serious
Think about it — can a dog be charged with murder? The answer is a hard “no,” but that means that liability dog bite injuries falls on owners.
In order for the owner of a dog that attacked somebody to not be held accountable for the incident, he or she would have to bring forward evidence demonstrating their ignorance of the dog’s potential for violence. Or evidence that the dog was provoked. In the case of Geneke Lyons, it doesn’t seem like any such proof exists. In fact, it seems more like evidence proving the exact opposite is what investigators will find.
If you have a dog, you should think twice about the charges in this case. Murder. Manslaughter. Owning a dog big enough to harm people is an enormous responsibility, so it’s crucial that proper training and supervision is implemented. Victims and their families get ample compensation under Tennessee law, at least, and if you don’t have a dog bite insurance policy… You’re looking at some serious dark times.
Hire Nashville Dog Bite Attorneys
Dog attacks have a place in Tennessee state law for personal injury, as well as criminal law. If you or a loved one is the victim of a dog attack, or you’ve facing charges for owning a dog that attacked somebody, then you need to make sure that you’re entering the legal process with an experienced dog bite attorney.
At Turner Law Offices, P.C., our team has years of experience working with clients across a wide range of criminal and personal injury cases — and that includes countless incidents involving dog attacks. Evidence for these types of cases is crucial and must be gathered quickly, so don’t wait! Call today, or go online to set up your Free Initial Consultation, and meet with a skilled lawyer who’s ready and waiting to hear your case and get you on track toward the justice you deserve.
