In a saddening incident of animal violence and neglect originating from Evansville, the local police department was involved in an action that resulted in the death of a dog, alongside neglect charges for its owner. According to a Facebook post by the Evansville Police Department yesterday, officers accompanied Evansville Animal Care and Control to a residence where they attempted to remove a dog due to inadequate housing.
Under frigid conditions with temperatures at a biting 24 degrees, the situation escalated when the officers were on-site. The dog, living in an outdoor kennel where the only provision against the cold was a tarp wrapped around two sides and a frozen bowl of water, was to be removed after Animal Control had already responded 16 times to similar concerns of neglect at this property.
During the removal attempt, as the owner was engaging the dog with a leash, the animal charged towards one of the officers. Per the department's account, following an assessment of the dog's behavior and deeming it aggressively threatening, an officer fired three shots from his duty-issued handgun — a sequence of events that resulted in the animal's death. The Facebook post explains, "the officer observed the dog for signs of playfulness or normal behavior but became concerned when the dog’s approach escalated into aggressive behavior, including jumping up with its mouth open in an attacking manor within very close proximity to the officer."
Subsequent to these events, the owner received a citation for animal neglect. While the investigation is still underway, the Evansville Police are considering whether there are grounds for additional charges. The social media update concludes with a note that the investigation "remains ongoing, and additional charges may be considered as the case progresses."
