A traffic stop Thursday afternoon led to the fatal shooting of a dog in Santa Maria.

At approximately 4:40 p.m., officers from the Santa Maria Police Department conducted a traffic stop on the 2000 block of South Broadway, Lt. Matthew Kline said.

During the stop, officers observed a pit bull inside the vehicle acting aggressively toward them. 

“While officers were conducting their investigation, the pit bull exited the vehicle and charged toward one of the officers,” Kline said. “The dog was subdued to prevent it from attacking the officer.” 

The dog was shot in self-defense and died, police confirmed Friday.