Ben Roger Bearden, 45, was arrested and booked with cruelty to an animal, according to a statement from the Gretna Police Department.
Gretna police began an investigation into the death of a male Cockapoo named Jack on Feb. 19, according to Gretna police spokesman Anthony Christiana.
The incident occurred in the 1000 block of 6th Street, and officers obtained video surveillance from several different locations which revealed the shot "could not have come from anywhere" but Bearden's residence.
Jack sustained a shot to the back of his right leg with a .177 pellet, authorities said. The pellet entered Jack's heart, and police say the angle and direction of the shot came from Bearden's residence.
Bearden and his wife have filed "numerous complaints" about Jack for his barking, police said.
Bearden's arrest comes after authorities eliminated other suspects who were firing BB guns in the neighborhood over the last several weeks near 6th Street.
Bearden resigned from the police department five years ago due to what Gretna police called "personal matters."
Bearden is being held in jail on a $10,000 bond.
(NOLA - February 27, 2017)
