Woman claims CSU police chief shot her in foot trying to shoot attacking pit bull at jazz festival

A woman is suing the owner of a pit bull she alleges bit her and killed her dog at a jazz festival last summer on the city's South Side, as well as a police officer who she claims shot her in the foot after discharging nine rounds at the attacking dog.

Cora Hardy filed suit Feb. 9 in the Cook County Circuit Court against the dog's owner, Tyrece Kyles, and Ronnie Watson, the police chief at Chicago State University, which hosted the August 20, 2014 jazz festival on its campus at 9501 S. King Dr.

According to the suit, Hardy was at the festival with her dog and they were both attacked without provocation by Kyles' dog, a pit bull known as "Pretty Boy" that was apparently roaming free.

Hardy claims her dog was killed in the attack and she sustained juries from being bit. She accuses Kyles of violating the Illinois Animal Control Act and being negligent by failing to restrain, properly train and monitor his dog.

According to the suit, Watson was the initial responding officer to the incident. While witnessing the attack, Hardy claims Watson opened fire on Pretty Boy and discharged nine rounds, at least one of which struck her foot.

She accuses Watson of using unreasonable excessive force by discharging his firearm while trying to protect her, and was negligent by discharging his firearm in her direction and at a public and populated school event.

Hardy is seeking more than $50,000 in damages from each defendant, as well as costs, and is represented by Patrick A. Salvi II and Andrew J. Burkavage of Salvi Schostok & Pritchard in Chicago.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt and represents only one side of the story.