Indiana: Jamie McFarland, the man accused of tying Hank the Great Dane, to a bumper, only to have him be dragged five miles to his death speaks to reporter

INDIANA -- A Vanderburgh County man, charged in what police call a horrible case of animal cruelty, is sharing his side of the story.

Jamie McFarland, the man accused of tying Hank the Great Dane, to a bumper, only to have him be dragged five miles to his death, agreed to sit down with 14 News for a jail house interview.

 

"That day was a mistake, well why wouldn't it have been, something died that day, you think anybody wanted to see Hank die," McFarland said. "You think I did, no. If I could bring him back, I'd trade places."

McFarland says he tied Hank to the back bumper of a truck, and Brandyn Cox, also charged in the case, drove off with Hank still tethered.

"So should he have known it was back there?  When I'm smacking on the tailgate, telling him don't go nowhere," McFarland said. "I look at old Hank and say you better hope nobody forgets you."

McFarland added, Hank's owner left the Great Dane at his house off Old Henderson Road, where Hank went to the bathroom repeatedly inside the house.

McFarland was asked if he knew how bad Hank's injuries were. In his response he says he does not know.

 

"No, no, thing is I don't really know any of that and I really don't want to put that thought in my mind, cause we got a few guys they like to say things like 'Dog-killer'. I'm a dog walker, I'm not a dog killer. I didn't kill that dog for one," McFarland said.

"I'm going to ride my time out here. One thing is, I'm not really worried about it," McFarland said. "When it comes time to go to trial, the evidence is just as it is, I didn't hurt that dog, I did wrap the leash around the bumper, around the tennis ball well because the dog's huge, he's 170 pounds."

McFarland is due back in court on June 2nd.

Note: According to the Good Samaritan witness, Cox is the one who threatened her:

BRAVE HERO:  According to a probable cause affidavit, that caller — identified as a 40-year-old woman — told deputies she honked at Cox and then cut him off in an attempt to get his attention. She said Cox got out of his truck and threatened to kill her after she told him about the dog and tried to take a photograph of the incident, deputies wrote. That woman was able to provide a photo of the truck's license plate and a photo of Cox's arm which bears a distinctive tattoo, according to the affidavit.

(14 WFIE Evansville - May 24, 2016)

Earlier:

• Indiana: Arrests made in case of Great Dane mix named Hank dragged to death