Warrants issued for man caught on video beating dog in DeKalb County
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A Ring doorbell video is at the center of an animal cruelty investigation in DeKalb County. The first part of the clip shows a man chasing a dog and then striking it. Then seconds later the man picks the dog up by the head and throws it at a wall. The man can be seen chasing the dog up the stairs.
"It looked very scared, and petrified, and was trying to escape, and obviously wasn't able to escape," said Claudine Wilkins, founder of the Animal Protection Society and Animal Law Source.
The video was posted online earlier this week and quickly got the attention of investigators from DeKalb County Police and Animal Enforcement Services. The timestamp shows it was recorded on March 12 just before 11:15 a.m.
Due to the graphic nature, FOX 5 has opted not to show the video in its entirety.
Detectives believe it happened at the Highlands of East Atlanta apartment community on Flat Shoals Road.
The Animal Protection Society is a Georgia-based non-profit.
Wilkins says she helped update the Georgia animal cruelty law nearly a decade ago and says the video shows a crime.
"Anyone that injures an animal with intent and malice, such as we see in this video, can be charged with animal cruelty aggravated," she said. "So, that's a felony provision in our state law."
Police released photos of the person for which investigators are searching. DeKalb Police say Animal Enforcement Services is leading the investigation, but Wilkins says it should be the other way around because the person should be arrested.
Officers say the suspect appears to be a Black male swearing gray sweatpants and a gray zip-up sweat jacket.
"No matter what the victim is, and in this case it's an animal, a crime has been committed," she said. "Regardless of how anyone feels about animals, when a crime is committed, the police should take action because that's their duty."
So far, nobody has been arrested or charged.
A Ring doorbell cam shows a man beating a dog at a DeKalb County apartment. (FOX 5)
The DeKalb County Animal Enforcement Supervisor was out at the apartment complex Thursday investigating. FOX 5 asked directly if an update could be provided, but he declined.
Late Thursday evening, DeKalb County Police posted that a suspect was identified and investigators were taking out warrants in the case. A name was not released.
Anyone with any information or who recognize the individual is asked to please contact the Cruelty Report Hotline at 404-294-2939 or Detective Watson at 404-286-7990 or tdwatson@dekalbcountyga.gov.