WINCHESTER, VA — A man trying to beat his dog to death with a gun was fatally wounded when it apparently went off accidentally, police said.

His dog had bitten him and he intended to kill the animal.

Raymond Poore Jr., 43, called his wife at work Thursday and told her that their dog had bitten him and he intended to kill the animal, police Capt. David Sobonya said.

The wife came home about 6 p.m. and found her husband unconscious, with a number of dog bites and scratches. Emergency medical personnel discovered that Poore had been shot. He was pronounced dead at Winchester Medical Center.

Sobonya said Poore must have beaten the 30-pound shar-pei with the gun that went off. He said the stock of the weapon, a combination rifle and shotgun, was broken and there appeared to be blood and dog hair on it.

The dog was in the custody of an animal control officer. Sobonya had no detail on how badly it was injured.

[Thanks to Rich and Karen for this contribution.]

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