Ohio: Cuyahoga County Corrections Officer Michael Shaw Jr. had been cited FIVE TIMES by Animal Control before his Pit Bull nearly killed a six-year-old girl

OHIO -- A 6-year-old girl is in critical condition after a pit bull "snapped" on the Fourth of July.

Now, neighbors say they want all of the aggressive dogs out of the neighborhood, before someone else gets hurt.

 

  

According to a Cleveland Police report, a little girl named Anastasia and her mother, Dawn Highsmith, 32, were inside a home in the 3900 block of W.22nd Street around 7:45 p.m. when something fell onto the floor, allegedly "spooking" the dog.

Yes, we must try to figure out WHY. Why would this dog do this? There MUST be a reason. The REASON is simple: It's a Pit Bull.

According to a police report obtained by Cleveland 19 News, the brown and white pit bull latched onto Anastasia's face dragging her around the living room before turning onto her mother and Melissa Highsmith.  

PIT BULL OWNED BY CUYAHOGA COUNTY CORRECTIONS OFFICER MICHAEL SHAW JR.

A male resident at the home, Cuyahoga County Corrections Officer Michael Shaw Jr., was off duty and able to grab his weapon.

Shaw threw a chair at his dog and was able to separate the dog before getting Dawn Highsmith, Anastasia, Melissa Highsmith and Shaw’s son out of the house.

Dawn Highsmith and Anastasia

Shaw then shot his own Pit Bull four times.

Clearly the dog was still acting crazy because why else would he shoot the dog after he'd cleared all the victims out? If he'd herded everyone outside, why wouldn't he simply grab the dog by the collar and lock it in the bathroom? Because the obvious answer is that it was trying to attack him too.

Highsmith held towels over her Anastasia's body while neighbors helped out according to the police report. Shaw assisted Melissa Highsmith while waiting for Cleveland Police, EMS and Animal Control to arrive.

Both Melissa, Dawn and Anastasia were bitten by Shaw's Pit Bull. All three victims were transported to MetroHealth Medical Center. Anastasia, the child, was last listed in critical condition and will need surgery.

Once Cleveland’s Division of Animal Control arrived they took both, the attacking dog and a second dog, from the home. The conditions and status' of both dogs are unknown. Calls to Cleveland Division of Animal Control’s Chief Animal Control Officer Ed Jamison were not returned Wednesday afternoon.

The neighborhood was somber Wednesday afternoon.

Two neighbors spoke about the aggressive dog problem on their street, saying there are at least half a dozen pit bulls on the block and they all seem aggressive.

Lee Covert has lived on W. 22nd Street his entire life and can’t understand the need for aggressive dogs in the neighborhood.

Cuyahoga County Corrections Officer Michael Shaw Jr.'s Pit Bull had recently been loose and menacing neighbors

According to Covert, the same dog that attacked on July 4 had recently gotten loose and police were called because a neighbor couldn’t get into her car.

Another neighbor who goes by John, is an ex-mail carrier. John, who witnessed the attack from his window, says he walks thirty minutes every day and the dogs on the block are constantly barking at him aggressively.

The dogs have gotten so bad in the area, he carries mace on his belt while outside.  Both neighbors say it could have been their grandchildren, and say something must change.

CUYAHOGA COUNTY CORRECTIONS OFFICER MICHAEL SHAW JR. CITED 5 TIMES BY ANIMAL CONTROL

Apparently, this is not the first of Shaw's canine-related woes. He was cited in February 2016 for failing to provide a dog with adequate food and water, excessive animal noise and three other offenses.

He was also cited last February for his dog running at large, after the animal escaped numerous times from his backyard and roamed the neighborhood.

Likely the same Pit Bull neighbors said was running loose and menacing them.

VIDEO NEWS CLIP:

(WALB - July 6, 2017)

Earlier:

• Ohio: Girl, 6, in critical condition after being attacked by Pit Bull. An off-duty corrections officer was originally hailed a hero for shooting the dog, but now it seems it belonged to him

Ohio: Girl, 6, in critical condition after being attacked by Pit Bull. An off-duty corrections officer was originally hailed a hero for shooting the dog, but now it seems it belonged to him

OHIO -- Cleveland police are investigating an incident involving a family dog attack on Cleveland's west side.

The owner of the Pit Bull along with another resident was attacked by the dog.

The dog also attacked a 6-year-old girl, leaving her with multiple lacerations to the head and face.

The attack occurred on Tuesday around 9:40 p.m. on the 3900 block of W. 22nd Street.

When officers arrived, they found the dog behind the owner with multiple gunshot wounds and it appeared to still be breathing despite being unable to move, according the police report.

The 6-year-old girl was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center with critical injuries. Doctors told police the girl's wounds will require surgery.

Deborah Peplin, who lives next door, told News 5 she was too scared to get out of her car a couple weeks ago because the Pit Bull was trying to cross over the fence into her yard.

"[It was like] the movie Carrie. From head to toe [she was covered in] blood… I was scared, I was crying I felt for the little girl," said Peplin, who filed a complaint after the first encounter with the dog.

According to the police report, the owner shot the dog four times. Cleveland police said the dog did not die from a gunshot wound and it was later taken to the city kennel along with a second dog retrieved from the house.

The two women attacked were also taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries.

*   *   *   *   *  *

ORIGINAL STORY -- An off-duty Cuyahoga County corrections officer is being called a hero after he shot a pit bull after it attacked two people, including a 6-year-old girl, in Cleveland Tuesday night, police said.

I wouldn't give him a hero tag if the Pit Bull belonged to him.

The dog attacked a 32-year-old woman and the girl about 9 p.m. at a home in the 3900 block of West 22nd Street in the city's Brooklyn Centre neighborhood, Cleveland police said.

The girl is in critical condition, police said.

The woman owned the pit bull, police said.

Police did not give the names of the woman or the child.

They were both taken to MetroHealth Hospital for treatment, police said.

(Cleveland.com - July 5, 2017)

Update to story:

• Ohio: Cuyahoga County Corrections Officer Michael Shaw Jr. had been cited FIVE TIMES by Animal Control before his Pit Bull nearly killed a six-year-old girl

Pennsylvania: Corrections Officer Chad Holland, 40, found guilty of leaving K9 dog named Totti inside car to cook to death in July. His punishment for this horrible death? Two days in county jail.

PENNSYLVANIA -- A Pennsylvania Department of Corrections officer was found guilty of a summary offense of cruelty to animals in the death of a drug interdiction dog that was left locked in a hot car at the State Correctional Institute - Rockview in July.

Sgt. Chad Holland, 40, was convicted Wednesday after a one-day bench trial before District Judge Kelley Gillette-Walker. He was sentenced to two days in the Centre County Correctional Facility and a $300 fine.

Totti, a 2-year-old yellow labrador retriever, was left in the car for nearly three hours on the afternoon of July 7 following a training exercise.

According to the Centre County District Attorney's Office, after the training ended Holland returned to the Drug Interdiction Unit office ar Rockview at around noon and began unloading the car with Totti still in the vehicle.

During that time, Holland took a phone call and walked into a building where he later began talking to a colleague.

Totti was unconscious but alive when officers returned to the car.

First aid was administered and the dog was taken to a local veterinarian but never regained consciousness. Totti died five hours later from a heat-related seizure. The high temperature that afternoon was 86 degrees.

According to the American Veterinary Medicine Association, the temperature in the car could have reached 130 degrees or higher during that time period.

Dying in a hot car is a horrific way to die. There are criminal cases in which children have been left in cars and died and the coroner's explanation of the fear, pain, terror experienced by the child as they slowly died is absolutely horrible. The exact same thing happens to animals.

Corrections Secretary John Wetzel said on July 28 that following an internal investigation Holland, Totti's handler, and his unnamed supervisor had been removed from the Drug Interdiction Unit following an internal investigation by the department's Office of Special Investigations and Intelligence.

The department also said at the time that an internal review was being conducted to determine if any disciplinary action would be taken. A department spokesperson had not responded as of Wednesday morning to a request for comment on whether any disciplinary action had been taken.

“While the [internal] investigation concluded that this was not an intentional act and we recognize that those involved are devastated by what happened – as all of us are – this does not excuse the outcome,” Wetzel said in July.

Is their special treatment occurring? Why isn't Holland's mugshot available online?

(State College - Oct 19, 2016)

Earlier:
Pennsylvania: Corrections officer Chad Holland charged in death of K-9 left in hot car

Pennsylvania: Corrections officer Chad Holland charged in death of K-9 left in hot car

PENNSYLVANIA -- A Pennsylvania corrections officer has been charged after a drug-detecting police dog in his care died last month after it was left in a hot vehicle for 2-1/2 hours during a training exercise.

State police said Tuesday that Sgt. Chad Holland has been charged with animal cruelty in the July 7 death of 2-year-old Totti at the state prison at Rockview near Bellefonte in Centre County.

RIP Totti

PennLive.com reports dog handlers tried to cool the yellow Labrador with a water hose and ice after they realized he was locked in the car, but the dog later died.

An online petition urging the Department of Corrections to fire Holland was started after the dog’s death.

It’s unclear if he has an attorney who can comment on the charges.

(Seattle Times - Aug 30, 2016)

Florida: Corrections officer Michael Granger arrested for not appearing in court on animal cruelty charges

FLORIDA -- Pasco County deputies have arrested a Florida corrections officer for failing to appear in court on animal cruelty charges.

Deputies say 31-year-old Michael Granger was charged with animal cruelty back in March after a neighbor reported seeing him punch his own German Shepherd while trying to give it a bath.

The witness also saw Granger pick up the dog and throw it to the ground. 

Deputies responded to the scene and conducted an animal cruelty investigation, during which Granger was cooperative and admitted that he "lost his temper" and hurt the dog.

[After being informed that his dog was being seized pending the outcome of the case and that he would be responsible for all veterinary and boarding fees for his dog, Granger opted to surrender] the 1.5 year old dog to PCSO Animal Control, where it was treated for its injuries (tender lower back and tail area, flea infestation, high temperature, no broken bones). The dog is expected to make a full recovery.

Deputies charged Granger with one count misdemeanor Animal Cruelty, and issued a notice to appear for court on June 10th.

When Granger failed to show up, deputies served him with a warrant for his arrest and booked him into the Polk County Jail. He was released a short time later on $500 bond.

Granger is employed as a corrections officer with the Florida Department of Corrections, at the Avon Park Correctional Institution, which is not affiliated with the Polk County Jail.

Someone want to explain why this POS is still employed by as a corrections officer when he's in the jail with the inmates he guards???

(FOX 13 - June 12, 2016)

South Carolina: Georgetown County Correctional Officer fired after animal cruelty charge

SOUTH CAROLINA -- A Georgetown County Detention Center Correctional Officer and his wife were jailed Thursday for allegedly mistreating animals, according to the sheriff’s office.

The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jason William Teeter, 39, and Shannon Michelle Teeter, 41, after deputies responded to Green Acres Drive in the Beneventum Community of Georgetown County for a welfare check of animals Tuesday afternoon.

At the home, deputies saw several dogs inside and outside of the house that appeared to be malnourished.

 

In addition, deputies say the dogs inside the home were kept in confined kennels in unsanitary conditions, forcing officials to seize seven animals from the home and transport them to the St. Francis Animal Center for care and evaluation.

Jason Teeter, who has been serving as a Correctional Officer at the Georgetown County Detention Center, and his wife, Shannon Teeter, were booked into the Georgetown County Detention Center on one count each of ill treatment of animals first offense, confirms Public Information Officer Carrie Weaver.

Teeter’s employment with the Georgetown County Detention Center has been terminated, adds Weaver. The Teeters were each released from jail on a $2,100 bond.

(WBTW - March 3, 2016)

Scott County corrections officer fired for shooting woman's dog

TENNESSEE -- A Scott County corrections officer was fired for shooting a citizen's dog and attempting to hide the animal's body.

Scott County Sheriff Mike Cross told 6 News Wednesday that Officer Travis Harness was terminated because of the incident.

Harness, who had been with the sheriff's office for about two years, now faces a charge of intent to kill an animal.

Harness was off duty last week when he shot a woman's dog with a personal gun and tried to bury it in the woods.

Craig Anderson told investigators that Harness shot the dog for no reason in the middle of Hurricane Road, in the Norma community.

The dog was an eight-year-old Miniature Schnauzer.

The dog's owner, Lisa Anderson, filed a complaint which lead to the charge.

The former corrections officer told investigators he ran over the dog on Hurricane Road, and that he shot the dog to put it out of its misery.

Sheriff Cross said Harness tried to bury the dog in the woods after the shooting.

The dog's body was sent to the University of Tennessee Vet School for a necropsy, where it was determined that the dog died from a gunshot wound and had no other life threatening injuries.

Harness was originally placed on administrative paid leave, but after the necropsy results were released, his employment with the sheriff's department was terminated.

"It was an unfortunate situation for both parties. Through the department's criminal investigation detectives, the case was appropriately investigated and proper action was taken," said Sheriff Cross.

6 News spoke to a resident who was outraged and thinks the punishment fits the crime.

"He ought to be under better standards than we are," said Troy Seabolt, who lives near the shooting site. "He's under a sworn oath; his standards are to be better than mine. To do something like that, it's pretty bad."

It's unclear why Harness decided to shoot the dog. Harness has no criminal history.

Harness will be in court for an arraignment on June 19 at 9 a.m.

(WATE - June 12, 2013)

Maine: Ex Animal Control officer and current prison guard Randall Carl, 46, found guilty of animal cruelty after the torture death of a tied-up bobcat he allowed his dogs to tear to pieces

MAINE -- It didn’t take long Monday afternoon for a Waldo County jury to decide the fate of a Master Maine Guide and Maine State Prison guard who was accused of aggravated animal cruelty against a bobcat.

Less than an hour after the conclusion of the daylong trial, the jury in Waldo County Superior Court returned with a verdict against 46-year-old Randall Carl of Knox: guilty.

Randall Carl

Waldo County Deputy District Attorney Eric Walker said after the sentencing that the February 2009 incident, during which Carl and three other men had used the illegally trapped bobcat in a failed effort to train their bluetick coonhounds, can’t be justified in any way.

Carl tethered the caged bobcat to a pole with a rope wrapped around its neck. He let the bobcat out of the cage, shown in a home video that was taken of the 'training experiment', and stood there, allowing hunting dogs to attack and kill it.

“I think most people who are hunters, like myself, would be most offended by the conduct of these guys,” Walker said. “It gives us all a bad name.”

Carl’s defense attorney Walter McKee of Augusta characterized the event very differently, describing it as an unfortunate incident. After the sentencing, he said that he was surprised and disappointed with the verdict.

“The evidence from all the witnesses said this was an accident,” McKee said.

Juror Mary Brann said after the trial that she’s not against trapping or hunting, but what she saw in the video was “brutal.”

“It was illegal activity, and it was cruelty to animals,” she said. “As a Maine Guide, as the highest level of Maine Guide — really, that was not good behavior.”

The jurors also found that Carl, who in the past has worked as an animal control officer in the western Maine town of Vienna, was guilty of a closed-season trapping violation.

Justice Robert Murray sentenced Carl after the verdict was returned. Carl, who his attorney said will lose his job with the Department of Corrections because he is now a convicted felon, was sentenced to 15 months in prison with all but 10 days suspended.

Additionally, he will pay $1,325 in fines and fees and spend two years on probation, during which time he will be prohibited from using or possessing hunting dogs or hunting or trapping equipment.

He also will be barred from hunting, trapping or guiding activities during this time.

Carl was not the first person to be sentenced on charges stemming from the incident.

Last October, his friend and fellow prison guard Corey Robinson, 30, of Montville also was found guilty of aggravated cruelty to animals and a closed-season trapping violation by a different Waldo County jury. Robinson received the same sentence but is appealing the verdict, according to Walker.

On Monday, jurors twice watched the video of the bobcat being killed by the dogs. The incident had been taped by Vernon Travis Smith of Burnham, who told the court that he hadn’t hidden his camera from the other men present.

Smith had pleaded guilty to a closed-season trapping charge and paid a fine on that matter.

The video depicted the tethered bobcat being attacked, trying to fight back but being mauled to death by a pack of four howling, barking bluetick coonhounds within minutes of being let out of a cage.

Originally, Carl told the court that the men had tried to drag the caged bobcat over the snow in an effort to train the dogs to follow the scent, but that didn’t work. Then the men decided to hoist the caged bobcat up a tree, and they kept it there for between three and five minutes, he said.

Noisy, intense video taken of this showed the pack of coonhounds jumping at the hissing bobcat, dangling in the cage. The men egged on their dogs by shouting words of encouragement: “Get him, Utah!” “Get him, Smoke!”

Then they lowered the animal and Carl attached a “catchpole” he had made to control the bobcat.

“I was going to release the animal off the pole,” he told the court.

But the rope affixed to the pole and looped around the bobcat’s neck started to inadvertently choke it, he said.

“As I pulled the animal out, the dogs were there and attacked it,” Carl said. “It wouldn’t have been no training exercise at that point.”

[Having worked as an animal control officer, Randall Carl knew quite well how a catchpole worked. This was no accident. What moron decided to pull the bobcat out of the cage while the dogs were loose? These idiots stumbled over their pathetic lies. Thank God Maine has some common sense people still appearing on juries.]

The training goal was to teach the dogs to follow a scent trail that was laid on the ground, he said.

McKee pointed out that the dogs were all wearing tracking collars and the men wouldn’t have bothered with that if they had intended for the dogs to kill the bobcat right away.

“I didn’t think we were going to dispatch the animal,” Carl said.

He said that he was paying more attention to try to keep the bobcat from strangling and less attention to the dogs, which he had figured were being restrained with leashes. Two of the four dogs belonged to him.

During his cross-examination, Walker asked the defendant if the outcome of the incident was “completely foreseeable.”

“Not by me,” Carl responded.

In his closing arguments, McKee repeated some of the themes of his defense: namely, that it is impossible to apply the law of man to the law of the wild.

“This was a training situation that went awry,” he said. “It certainly wasn’t morally debased. Animals get shot. Get shot with guns, or with arrows. You can do things to animals you would never do to humans … the rest of the story in this case is that this was an accident. Every witness said the same thing: ‘We didn’t expect it to happen this way.’”

But Walker, in his closing arguments, vehemently disagreed.

“An accident is something that’s unseen or unavoidable,” he said. “This was not an accident. It is not hunting. It is not trapping. This bobcat suffered. This conduct was uncalled for. It was illegal.”

(Bangor Daily News - April 23, 2012)