Carver principal talks about fighting off dogs in student attack

ATLANTA, Ga. — A principal at the school where a student was attacked by two stray dogs described the desperate measures he took to get the animals off the boy.

Jason Stamper, the principal of technology at the New Schools at Carver in southeast Atlanta says it's his job to protect students and that's what he did.

Stamper described to Channel 2's Tom Jones how he jumped in his car and tried to use it to scare the dogs after hearing from students that animals were attacking someone near the campus baseball field Monday afternoon.

"Didn't work and actually I had some tennis rackets in my car and I actually was able to get them off with some tennis rackets," he explained.

Stamper says it was tennis rackets that finally scared away the dogs that were attacking 16-year-old Carver student, Azarius Lowe.

"Once we got them off with the tennis rackets they actually ran and APD responded," he said.

The dogs are still on the loose. Animal Control has set up traps to catch them but so far the traps have only caught a dog not connected to the attack.

Stamper explained how he tried to first use his car to scare the dogs away. "Rolled my car onto the curb and basically went to the ditch trying to block the dogs off of the young man. They continued to attack him," he said.

But the tennis rackets did the trick. Stamper says he doesn't deserve all the credit. "My graduation coach, Mr. Jeffries, ran down immediately after with a stool trying to get the dogs off," he said. And officers also chased the dogs after the attack was over.

The student's father heard about Stamper's bravery and wanted to thank him. "I just thank God that he was there to assist him," Arthur Steverson said.

Steverson says Stamper treated his son like he was his own. Stamper says that's exactly how he felt. "I take that same concern that I would take if it was my own child," he said.

Stamper says he wasn't afraid for himself, but was afraid for Azarius after he saw his injuries. The 10th grader is doing better, his father said.

The student's parents want to meet the principal and personally thank him.

WSBTV