Police: Dog Owner, Cruelty Suspect Threatens Cops After Animal Is Euthanized
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A Glen Burnie man was arrested Friday for allegedly threatening to kill police officers, after his ailing dog was taken from him earlier in the week and euthanized.
On Wednesday, 37-year-old James Rufus Huckaby was charged with with possession of heroin, possession of paraphernalia and animal cruelty.
Witnesses told Anne Arundel County Police that a man appeared to be passed out or asleep in his silver Nissan Titan in the parking lot of the Walmart on George Clauss Boulevard in Severn. They said there was a dog in the back seat that appeared to be in distress.
Officers arrived on the scene around 9:11 p.m., and say they saw Huckaby "dragging his bull dog on a leash in the parking lot." They say the animal appeared to be dehydrated and suffering from heat exhaustion.
They contacted Animal Control, who took the dog, "Diesel," to an emergency clinic.
"Due to the rapid deterioration of the dog's health and the poor prognoses, the veterinarian's recommendation was to euthanize the dog to alleviate further suffering," a police press release says.
Two days later, around 1:20 p.m. Friday, officers responded to the Anne Arundel County Animal Control Facility.
Volunteers and visitors told them they had overheard a man in a silver Nissan Titan on his cell phone, saying several times that he was going to kill police officers for shooting his dog.
The man allegedly fled the facility before police arrived, but officers say it was Huckaby, who they later found at his home and charged with threats of violence, disorderly conduct, and disturbing the peace.
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