PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A Palm Beach County deputy was shot Monday afternoon while serving a search warrant at a home in West Palm Beach, authorities said.
According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, deputies were assisting West Palm Beach police officers with a search warrant in the 5400 block of Eadie Place.
When deputies entered the home just before 2:30 p.m., a pit bull inside the property charged and attacked a deputy, sheriff's spokeswoman Teri Barbera said.
A second deputy fired a shot, hitting the pit bull. The bullet went through the animal and struck a deputy, Barbera said.
The deputy was taken by ambulance to St. Mary's Medical Center, where he's being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Barbera told WPTV Monday evening the injured deputy "is currently in surgery after being shot in the leg near the pelvic area."
WATCH: Palm Beach County deputy taken to hospital
West Palm Beach police spokesman Mike Jachles confirmed to WPTV on Monday evening that the home on Eadie Place is related to a carjacking that occurred early Monday in the 900 block of Sixth Street.
Jachles said the suspect's arrest was also connected to a shooting that occurred the night before that injured a woman. He said the woman was shot in the face and taken to the hospital. She is expected to survive.
WPTV reporter Todd Wilson said law enforcement officers, armed with long guns, had been staking out the home for at least three hours Monday.
Wilson said that at about 2:30 p.m., deputies entered the home through a front and side door.
"Less than five minutes in there, all we heard was what sounded like firecrackers," Wilson reported live on air Monday. "And all we heard after that was screaming. 'I'm hit, I'm hit. I'm shot, I'm shot, I'm shot.'"
Barbera said deputies were assisting the West Palm Beach Police Department "regarding one of their investigations."
Troy Peterkins said the home is his, and his dog, Blue, was shot.
"I just get home and they tell me my damn dog, they done shot him for no reason," Peterkins said.
Peterkins added he had no idea why law enforcement officers responded to his home.
"Who did they say was carjacking?" Peterkins said. "They got a name."
Former FBI agent Stuart Kaplan, who is not connected to the case or investigation, said serving search warrants is extremely dangerous.
"In the heat of the battle, in milliseconds, you have no other alternatives than to do what's in the best interests, not only to protect yourself, but to protect the self and well-being of a fellow deputy," Kaplan said. "Quite frankly, that deputy who discharged his firearm probably saved the life of the deputy who was being mauled, being attacked by that pit bull."
No other details have been released.
