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Homeowner Assaulted During Robbery, Then Responding Officer Fires At Dog

DENVER (CBS4) - A man and a woman are under arrest after allegedly assaulting the owner of an East Denver home during a robbery attempt.

The crime happened Tuesday afternoon near the intersection of Colfax Avenue and Wabash Street.

The identity of the homeowner hasn't been released, and so far it's not clear how they might have been injured.

Police haven't said if the homeowner and the robbers knew each other.

An officer who responded to the scene fired at a dog from a neighbor's house that wandered outside and then "was poised to attack him," according to officers.

The officer suffered minor injuries when he fell over.

"He shot at the dog twice. He missed, but while he was shooting he lost balance, fell backwards smacked both his elbows pretty hard and the back of his head, he was pretty cut up," said Tonie Castaneda, who was watching the dog for her brother-in-law.

The dog wasn't hit, but is now with animal control. Police say the dog came towards the officer aggressively, but Castaneda said the American Bulldog puppy was just curious and she said she didn't see it try to bite anyone.

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