84-Year-Old Man Dies After Being Attacked by XL Bully: 'These Dogs Are Like Weapons'

An 84-year-old man in the United Kingdom died a month after authorities say he was attacked by a dog that escaped from a nearby home.

The dog, thought to be an XL Bully, attacked the man in a garden in Warrington, England, on Feb. 24, the Cheshire Constabulary said.

On Sunday, March 30, the man died from his injuries, Cheshire police said.

“This was a tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the family of the victim at this difficult time,” Detective Inspector Simon Mills said in a statement. “The victim has fought so hard since the attack but sadly his injuries were too much, and despite the best efforts of the specialist medical teams who have supported him since the attack, he has now passed away.”

Two dogs were killed at the scene by officers who fired 19 shots, police said, while a third small dog was seized by authorities.

Following the attack, a 30-year-old man was arrested and charged with being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control causing serious injury and two counts of possession or custody of a dog, police said.

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Police said the Crown Prosecution Service will determine if the charges will be changed following the death of the victim.

A 29-year-old woman was also arrested in connection with the attack and was released on conditional bail.

“This was an innocent man who was simply walking in the street when he was horrifically attacked by a suspected unregistered XL Bully,” Cheshire Constabulary Chief Constable Mark Roberts said. “These dogs are like weapons; their physical attributes can make it like owning a loaded firearm with a questionable safety catch.”