A Gouverneur man is facing seven criminal charges after New York State Police say he showed up at a Fowler home hunting for a cat he claimed had attacked him, pointed a rifle at the homeowner, and then shot and took a different cat entirely. Cody L. Fuller, 35, was arrested Oct. 30, a day after the confrontation on County Route 22 in the town of Fowler, St. Lawrence County.
According to WWNY-TV, troopers responded to the County Route 22 address at about 6:26 p.m. on Oct. 29 for a reported animal cruelty complaint. Investigators determined that Fuller had gone to the residence searching for a cat he said had attacked him, but the homeowner told him there were no cats there matching the description he gave.
Rifle Pointed From a Truck Doorway, Police Say
Despite being told the animal wasn't there, Fuller allegedly pointed a rifle toward the victim and one of the victim's own cats from the doorway of his truck, per the station's report. He then fired a single round that struck the cat, according to the same account, before entering the property, grabbing the cat and fleeing the scene.
State police located Fuller the next day at Jefferson Community College, arrested him, and transported him to SP Gouverneur for processing, the outlet reported. The New York State Police confirmed the arrest in its own release on the case.
Seven Charges, Including a Weapons Count Tied to a Prior Conviction
Fuller was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, second-degree menacing, second-degree reckless endangerment, petit larceny, endangering the welfare of a child, illegal discharge of a firearm, and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, the latter charge tied to a previous conviction, per the WWNY report. Aggravated cruelty to animals is classified as a felony under New York's Agriculture and Markets Law § 353-A.
Fuller was arraigned in Town of Fowler Court and released on his own recognizance, according to the station's account, a detail the state police release also reflected in its own description of the arraignment. As Newport Dispatch also reported, the case remains in its early stages, with no further court proceedings detailed yet.
