Michigan corrections officer charged after his service dog was shot, dumped in a ditch

A previous Michigan corrections officer has been charged in the demise of his assistance dog right after he certain the canine, shot it 3 situations and dumped the remains in a ditch last yr, officers mentioned.

Genesee County Corrections Deputy Jacob Wilkinson was fired previous Friday soon after 42 days on the job, Sheriff Christopher R. Swanson claimed in a online video press conference Wednesday.

Wilkinson allegedly killed the pet, named Habs, sometime involving September and October mainly because it “nipped at him” as he was reducing the canine’s nails, according to the sheriff.

“And that person … believed he had more than enough manage about the doggy that you’re not gonna do that. So he duct-taped the rear legs of the dog, duct-taped the front legs of the pet, duct-taped the muzzle,” Swanson stated.

Wilkinson then allegedly dropped the dog’s entire body in a close by township, the place it was found out by road commission staff, and authorities were notified. Saginaw County Animal Treatment and Control Director Bonnie Kanicki explained to MLive.com that the county highway staff members documented finding the carcass on March 24 in a ditch around the intersection of West Freeland and Hackett roadways in Tittabawassee Township. Swanson did not specify the day the pet dog was uncovered.

A necropsy identified that the doggy was shot 3 situations and that it experienced a microchip ID.

“They used the technologies and they tracked that microchip to a resident of Saginaw County … and they tracked that personal to be Jacob Wilkinson,” Swanson stated.

Wilkinson experienced assisted teach Habs, who was portion of a blue star assistance teaching program in which inmates inside of the Michigan Office of Corrections assistance practice company canine to give to veterans and officers. At the time, Wilkinson was employed by the Michigan Office of Corrections, assigned to the Saginaw place, Swanson stated. 

“After the training was entire, he adopted the pet,” Swanson explained.

Wilkinson used to be part of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office as a corrections officer in December, months right after the doggy was killed, and was hired Jan. 31.

He “under no circumstances disclosed in his interview that he shot and killed a dog, that he tortured a pet dog” — not even through his psychological interview prior to his employing, Swanson claimed.

“By no means did we know or even imagine that he’d torture an animal like that,” he claimed.

When Wilkinson was brought in for questioning by detectives, “without the need of offering him the facts of all the scenario, he confessed to everything,” and was instantly terminated, Swanson claimed.

He was arrested on a demand of next-diploma torturing or killing of an animal, a felony that is punishable by up to 7 many years in prison, Swanson reported.

Wilkinson was arraigned Tuesday. Bond was established at $10,000, and he was ordered not to have or invest in a firearm or other harmful weapon or to have contact with animals, court information clearly show.

His following hearing date is slated for May 9.

NBC News has attained out to Wilkinson’s attorney for comment.