Nicholas Scott Cook, 39, faces a charge of knowingly killing an animal after a dog named Briar was shot in Madisonville, Tennessee. Investigators say security-camera footage contradicted Cook’s explanation for the shooting. The Watkins family said their six-year-old daughter was outside when Briar was shot.
The shooting happened Oct. 22 on Wilson Station Road, according to WIVK. Cook told deputies Briar had been chasing chickens on his property, the outlet reported. Investigators said security-camera footage instead showed the dog standing in Cook’s yard and licking an empty silver pan, with no chickens visible nearby.
WVLT reported that Briar was shot in the Watkins family’s yard while their daughter, Hadley Haynes, was outside. Sydni Watkins described Briar as “the sweetest and goofiest dog” she had ever met; Hadley called her best friend.
Accounts of the shooting
WVLT reported that Sydni Watkins said Cook initially told the family Briar had been near his chicken coop, but later said he had not known the dog belonged to them. Watkins also said living next door to Cook after the shooting had been difficult.
Authorities said the security video captured three gunshots in total, according to wivk.com's reporting. Investigators said Cook admitted he approached the wounded animal and fired another shot while it was still alive. Cook was arrested and booked into the Monroe County Jail before later being released, the outlet noted.
What Comes Next in the Case
Cook is scheduled for an arraignment hearing next week, per the article from WVLT. The Watkins family said they are considering a civil case against Cook in addition to the criminal charge he already faces. One small moment of comfort came a day after the shooting, the station reported, when the responding deputy returned to give Hadley a stuffed animal.
The Madisonville case is not the only recent Tennessee dispute involving a dog and a neighbor. The Independent reported on a separate dispute that ended in a fatal shooting and a murder charge.
A separate case in Gallatin
According to WKRN, a Pomeranian was shot in Gallatin on Nov. 3, and the owner contacted authorities to file a report. That account describes a separate incident and does not report a court ruling, so it does not establish how a court handled the case.
How Tennessee Law Treats Dogs at Large
Tennessee’s dog-at-large statute addresses circumstances in which an owner may be responsible when a dog goes uncontrolled onto another person’s property, according to the statute’s text. It defines an owner as someone who regularly harbors, keeps or exercises control over the dog at the time of an offense, and includes an exception when a dog is protecting its owner or another innocent party from an attack. A violation is generally a Class C misdemeanor punishable only by a fine when no property damage, injury or death results.
Cook's case remains separate from that civil framework, since he faces a charge tied directly to killing the animal rather than a dispute over the dog's presence on his land. For the Watkins family, the legal questions are secondary to the loss itself, as Sydni Watkins continues to grieve a dog she says was family.
