Owner charged after lineman attacked by 5 pit bulls at work, sheriff’s office says

CARROLL COUNTY Miss. (WLBT/Gray News) – The owner of five full-blooded pit bulls was arrested Monday, days after a utility worker was attacked by the dogs.

Authorities said Ivan Bubba Rawles III was working as a lineman for Delta Electric when he was mauled by the pit bulls after he finished a service call.

According to the sheriff’s office, the worker’s vehicle became stuck after he was reversing down a long driveway. The pack of dogs approached Rawles while he was walking back towards the home.

The lineman was flown to the hospital with serious injuries but is expected to recover.

David Nicholas Smith, 44, was arrested and charged with five counts of simple assault by negligence and five counts of violation of the county’s pit bull ordinance.

The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said Smith shot and killed one of the dogs during the attack, and the others were euthanized.

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