A Cohasset man is facing multiple charges after police say a late-summer attempt to shoot coyotes from a second-floor window ended with his wife's elderly dog dead in the driveway, all caught on the family's security cameras.
According to investigators, the shooting happened on Aug. 16, 2025, at a Hillside Drive home. Detectives say the 14-year-old dog was struck and killed while the homeowner was allegedly trying to shoot at coyotes from a window over his garage.
In a Facebook post, the Cohasset Police Department said detectives arrested 59-year-old Christopher Lucas on Monday. He is charged with animal cruelty, hunting out of season, hunting without a license, and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling. Police said Lucas's license to carry firearms was suspended, multiple firearms were seized from the home, and Massachusetts Environmental Police assisted with the case.
Boston 25 News reported that home security footage shows the dog, identified as Lise and belonging to Lucas's wife, being hit, along with the immediate reactions of family members. The outlet also reported that Lucas was being held at the Cohasset Police Department on $1,000 cash bail and was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday morning in Quincy District Court.
Police say the shooting was captured on home video
In its statement, Cohasset police said both doorbell and security-camera footage captured the moment Lise was struck in the driveway area, followed by a relative crying over the dying animal. The department added that Chief William Quigley publicly commended investigators for their work and noted again that Massachusetts Environmental Police were involved in the investigation.
State hunting rules and the 500-foot law
Guidance from MassWildlife explains that coyote hunting in Massachusetts is tightly regulated, requires the proper hunting license and permits, and is confined to specific seasons. Under those rules, the mid-August hunting activity described by investigators would fall outside the typical coyote season and would still require a valid license.
Massachusetts law also bars people from firing a rifle or shotgun within 500 feet of a home, a public safety restriction that prosecutors cited when adding the firearms-related charge. The state's high court has treated that 500-foot rule as a public safety offense, as discussed in Commonwealth v. Kelly.
Prosecutors are expected to review the full investigative file and determine whether to seek any additional charges at arraignment. Reporting stated that the arraignment was scheduled for March 10 in Quincy District Court and that Lucas remained held on $1,000 cash bail. The case is still under investigation, and Lucas, like any defendant, is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
