Cockfighting - 59 birds seized
Clinton, MS (US)Incident Date: Saturday, May 31, 2008
County: Hinds
Charges: Misdemeanor, Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Eugene Davis
An alleged cockfighting ring near Clinton was busted Saturday by Hinds County sheriff's deputies acting on a tip.
Eugene Davis apparently hosted the event on his property at 1486 Percy Davis Road, officials said.
He and six other men were booked into the county detention center, charged with cockfighting and cruelty to animals.
Officials said he admitted facilitating the Saturday event.
Deputies also said Davis told them he had been arrested on the same charge four years ago and fined $10.
The names of the other men were not available. Each faces a Monday court hearing.
Cockfighting is a misdemeanor in Mississippi, punishable by a maximum $500 fine. A felony conviction on the animal cruelty charges could carry between 12 months and five years in prison, full restitution and fines of up to $10,000.
When deputies arrived at the scene, about 50 people were huddled around a large dirt pit next to a run-down trailer, said Deputy Randell Howard, one of the first to arrive.
Most of the observers took off and were not caught, he said.
"They ran out into the woods," he said.
Those who stayed behind were taken into custody. The ones who split left their cars behind. About 11 vehicles were towed.
Deputies worked with animal control and the Mississippi Animal Rescue League to confiscate 59 roosters from Davis' property, where several birds were caged. Others were tethered by their feet to trees.
Three dead roosters and several injured ones were on the property near the pit where sheriff's Investigator Greg Lewis said the cockfighting took place.
One dead rooster lay atop a pile of burned garbage.
One of the injured birds had its eye pecked out by another rooster.
A large dog was tied to a tree near the pit.
Empty beer cans littered the property, and dozens of hens and chicks roamed the yard to the constant sound of crowing.
Fighting roosters' natural spurs, which are near the feet, are cut off, and sharp, metal blades are taped on them to inflict more damage during a fight.
Two boxes filled with the metal blades and rolls of tape were found at the scene.
Cockfighting is a problem in rural Hinds County, but authorities usually don't know about it unless someone tips them off, Lewis said.
He did not know whether the confiscated roosters will have to be euthanized.
Dogfighting is a felony punishable by possible jail time in Mississippi and cockfighting should be, too, Lewis said.
"It's animal cruelty, and I think the penalty should be the same for all animals," he said. References |
