Dog fatally mauls 4-year-old boy in suburban Detroit

HAZEL PARK, Mich. – The family of a 4-year-old suburban Detroit boy killed by a pit bull says the dog belonged to a friend and had apparently “never shown aggressive behaviours.”

The boy’s family released a statement Wednesday identifying him as Benjamin Cobb and saying his death “has taken an unimaginable toll on our family, friends, and those who knew our sweet boy.”

Police in Hazel Park, north of Detroit, say the boy was pronounced dead Tuesday night at a hospital after suffering serious neck and body wounds.

Police say his mother cut the 60-pound (28-kilogram) dog with a knife defending her son. She was hospitalized with dog bites.

Officers used stun guns to free the boy from the dog, which was euthanized.

The family says they were fostering the dog for a friend.