Harrisonburg Officer Convicted of Animal Cruelty - NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports an...

A Harrisonburg police officer accused of killing an injured cat with a baton has been convicted of animal cruelty.

[MMM Sals Pizza]

Disgusting. I'm all for putting animals out of their misery if it calls for it but not like that... Eye for an eye seems like the right punishment!

[Rob]

I agree. Anyone that would harm a defenseless animal, let along one that was already injured and in pain, should not be in public service.

[Captain Obvious]

Good intent, but poor execution. Please pardon the pun.

I suspect there's a place for an officer of this caliber in Chief Longo's organization.

[qwerty]

Does this officer realize what an idiot he must have looked like wailing on the cat with his baton...What an moron...

[Lisa Gayle]

This man should not even be an officer. A $50 fine? What is that. He should serve time. Just because he was an officer should not give him special treatment. There are enough abused animals out there as it is without public service officers adding to it.
What does that say about our police departments? To think that this is where our tax money goes..........

[Toy Box Command]

Good ole Judge Steve Helvin! Haven't seen him for years! He is missed in Albemarle County!

Good work, Judge!

[Liberalace]

Whoa, kind readers, let's put into context...
I suspect Officer Snoddy's blows to the cat were effective and well placed. It says he struck the cat 20 times and--if you go back to your grade school math--that is only 2.22 blows to the head per life of the cat.
Thus, I believe Judge Helvin's decision was based on the rather low heinousness of this action as well as Officer Snoddy's pinpoint precision with his truncheon.
Most officers would give their right arm to be able to put down a perp with just 2.22 blows of the baton.

R.I.P.: Larry Ferrari

[Not enough]

A $50 fine??? That should teach him.
Can someone please tell me if he lost his job over this? I certainly do hope so.

[Guardian]

Are you kiddin me, this guy got in more trouble for killing a cat, that he would have for killing a kid with his baton. Get real, this society values their pets more than their kids.

[oh yeah]

Not to worry, this pig will no doubt find his sorry self back in law enforcement with some other community that needs his level of integrity. They always do. Kind of like prostituting the law, you go where you can get paid.

[Erika]

Definitely pleased that the officer was convicted. However, I do hope they will give him a psychological evaluation before allowing him to return to active duty. Animal cruelty is one of the hallmark warning signs of a psychopath, and those that go on to harm humans often begin with animals. Anyone that could beat an animal to death like that should be looked at with suspicion.

[heh]

He would have been useful at the capitol abortion protest.

[One Man]

This story is shocking and the violent demonic police officer is reprehensible, berserk, and vile. What goes beyond these accurate adjectives is the outrageous idea of an appeal! Thus, we'll add arrogant, insolent, and contemptuous.

[citizen]

Why not avoid this contrived hoopla and have police departments tell pet owners that from now on they have to dispose of their own would be family members?

Once again the nanny state hangs itself on it's own appendage!

The owner called and requested this service from the local government!

[Guardian]

This cop was enjoying his work. TWENTY baton hits to kill a house cat, are you kidding me? If he wasn't drawing out the death of this cat for the benefit of his own psychosis, was it for the shock factor of those watching? why did it take so many hits? The truth is, he was enjoying it. Most serial killers start out torturing animals, and this was torture.

[Guardian]

citizen wrote:

Why not avoid this contrived hoopla and have police departments tell pet owners that from now on they have to dispose of their own would be family members?
Once again the nanny state hangs itself on it's own appendage!
The owner called and requested this service from the local government!

"Contrived hoopla", try .......... T-O-R-T-U-R-E.

[Colt 45]

citizen wrote:

Why not avoid this contrived hoopla and have police departments tell pet owners that from now on they have to dispose of their own would be family members?
Once again the nanny state hangs itself on it's own appendage!
The owner called and requested this service from the local government!

This cat did not belong to the man who called police,he took the cat to his home and then called police.

[Toy Box Command]

Not enough wrote:

A $50 fine??? That should teach him.
Can someone please tell me if he lost his job over this? I certainly do hope so.

Keep dreaming. They're probably all sitting around and joking about it. I would love to know the nickname they have assigned this cop now. Something like "Catman"!!! He's most likely engraved a little cat image on his baton as well.

[Toy Box Command]

Guardian wrote:

This cop was enjoying his work. TWENTY baton hits to kill a house cat, are you kidding me? If he wasn't drawing out the death of this cat for the benefit of his own psychosis, was it for the shock factor of those watching? why did it take so many hits? The truth is, he was enjoying it. Most serial killers start out torturing animals, and this was torture.

Wonder if he works for Culpeper now?

[Amy]

citizen wrote:

Why not avoid this contrived hoopla and have police departments tell pet owners that from now on they have to dispose of their own would be family members?
Once again the nanny state hangs itself on it's own appendage!
The owner called and requested this service from the local government!

It is my understanding that the person who called the police did not own the cat. He saw the cat hit by a car and called the sheriff's office, which is the appropriate action to take. It can be dangerous to try to handle an injured animal that you do not know; that is what we have animal control officers for. A bite from an unknown animal with an unknown vaccination history is quite a problem; the animal must then be held for ten days and observed for signs of rabies or the individual must go through a series of post-exposure vaccinations which are costly and painful. It is disgraceful that animal control officers were not dispatched to safely transfer the cat to an emergency vet for euthanasia if that is what was needed.