Mountaintop Natural Pets

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Two police officers shot a charging mastiff/pit bull mix dog on a rooftop of the Mariners Harbor Houses yesterday afternoon, authorities said.

Neither officer was hurt.

The dog survived and was put into the custody of the ASPCA, police said, although residents speculated that it couldn’t possibly have survived the barrage of bullets, which they said comprised at least eight shots.

“They killed Jungle B.! They killed Jungle B.!” a resident cried in respect of the 102-pound, brindle mastiff/pit bull mix that is a familiar sight in the complex.

According to police, officers were conducting a vertical sweep of the six-story building at 124 Brabant St. around 4:35 p.m. when they happened on building tenant Larry Browning, 45, who had the dog with him at the top landing. They followed him to the roof.

“The pit bull came rushing toward them and [they] fired at the dog,” said a police spokesman.

Browning, who has done prison time for attempted manslaughter and attempted robbery, was arrested and was expected to be charged with criminal trespass and keeping a dog unleashed.

“My dog is dead,” said a teenager who gave his last name as Dollar. Browning is his uncle, he said, and often cares for the animal.

Dollar, who lives in the development, said Jungle B. doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.

“If you tell him to come, he will come. You tell him to roll over, he will roll over. He would not have harmed the cops. The most he does is bark. He would never hurt anyone. He’s big and playful,” said the teen, who has owned the dog for four years.

Dollar contended that the officers were familiar with the dog and its pliable nature.

The teen reported hearing his uncle tell the officers, “Please, don’t shoot me. I have the dog under control.” Then, “the dog began barking and the police officer shot him,” said Dollar.

Jungle B. was lying flat in the crate when the police brought him out, Dollar said. “Can he still be alive if he was laying flat like that?”

A crowd formed outside the building’s entrance, where police officers stood guard and yellow tape prevented residents’ entry for a little over half an hour.

“They murdered that dog. One bullet is sufficient,” said Rashid, 45, of the Bronx, who has family in the building. “What happened with the first, second, third and fourth shot? It was overkill.”

“The dog is friendly and never caused a problem. The police used too much force,” said a 15-year-old resident.

A police spokesman could not say how many rounds had been fired. The incident is under investigation.