Anthony H. King, 23, faces four counts simple assault, two counts each disorderly conduct and animal cruelty and one count each resisting arrest and false identification to law enforcement.
He was arraigned Friday by Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker, Nanticoke, who set bail at 10 percent of $50,000. Unable to immediately post the money, King was taken to jail.
The struggle King put up with police resulted in additional officers responding, but they — and pepper spray — didn’t stop him from trying to get away from officers, court papers state, so a conducted electrical weapon, known by the brand name Taser, was deployed upon him and he was placed in handcuffs.
King denied harming the dog when police responded to the Seybert Street home, stating that he was only giving the dog a bath. But at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton while waiting with police to have the Taser probes removed and to be decontaminated from the pepper spray by medical staff, he admitted to beating the dog, arrest papers state, claiming it was his right.
He said he poured hot water over the dog’s face and in her eyes, according to officers.
Police said they responded to the address after receiving multiple reports from the public about a person beating a dog with a belt.
King initially refused to give officers his name when they arrived to investigate the claim, court papers state, and the dog, a brown pit bull named “Queen,” was found by police shaking and drooling in a submissive position, looking fearful.
Witnesses also told police they saw King hit the dog with a metal bucket and yank the dog by its choker chain and leash to the point where the dog’s legs were off the ground for over 30 seconds. Witnesses also saw him hitting the dog with a belt, police wrote.
Two police officers sustained minor injuries as they took King into custody, according to court records.
The dog was taken to the Hazleton Animal Shelter, which arranged for her to receive medical care.
(Standard Speaker - July 7, 2016)
