Cat hanged from telephone pole, tortured
Chester, PA (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Jul 1, 2008
County: Delaware
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged:
» Damian Emmertz
» Bilal Fadal Smith
» Jermaine Corey Johnson
Three city men are charged with animal cruelty, involving the hanging of a cat and dousing of it as if they intended to set it on fire, according to court documents.
Damian Emmertz, 23, of the 200 block of West 22nd Street, Jermaine Corey Johnson, 30, of the 200 block of East 21st Street, and Bilal Fadal Smith, 29, of the 2000 block of Edgmont Avenue, are free on 10 percent of $10,000 bail, court records indicate.
The three men are additionally charged with disorderly conduct and criminal conspiracy to cruelty to animals. A preliminary hearing is scheduled Aug. 11 before Magisterial District Judge Robert Blythe.
According to arrest affidavits written by Officer Stephen Sheppleman, a caller said a man in a blue shirt, identified as Bilal Smith, allegedly "hanged and tortured the cat, while the other two stood next to Smith and appeared to be helping" in trying to set it on fire.
Sheppleman was working the 7 p.m.- 3 a.m. shift on July 1 when he was dispatched to the 100 block of East 21st Street for the report of "three black males hanging a cat from a pole."
As Sheppleman arrived, he saw three men sitting on the steps of a house on the block, and recognized two of them as Smith and Johnson.
The third was identified as Emmertz.
And as Sheppleman got out of his police car, Smith ran into the alleyway behind the homes.
According to the arrest affidavit, Sheppleman saw a small black cat with a wire tired around its neck hanging from the telephone pole in front of 140 E. 21st St.
"The cat's tail and legs were still twitching," the affidavit reads, in part.
A backup officer responded and the cat was taken down from the pole. The cat was covered in an unidentified fluid.
Johnson and Emmertz were taken into custody and taken to police headquarters for processing. While en route to the station, police received a call about the whereabouts of Smith.
He was found hiding in rear yards along East 22nd Street. When police ordered him out, he refused. After use of a Taser, Smith was apprehended and transported to police headquarters.
At one point before his apprehension, he allegedly tried to disarm one of the officers.
The affidavit described Smith as being "extremely intoxicated and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol/drugs combined."
Smith was additionally charged with public drunkenness, resisting arrest, disarming law enforcement officer and loitering and prowling at night. References |
