Dog stabbed and beaten
Manchester, NH (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Jan 11, 2011
County: Hillsborough
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Steven Beland
The man whose suicidal threats drew the Manchester police SWAT unit, as well as uniformed officers, to a house at 196 Laurel St. Tuesday afternoon was arraigned Wednesday in Manchester District Court on a felony charge of cruelty to animals and misdemeanors of disorderly conduct, resisting detention and violation of bail conditions.
Court documents show that Steven Beland, 21, who lives on the second floor at the Laurel Street address, called 911 shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday and said he had a knife and was going to stab his dog and would kill himself if police went up to his apartment.
Police set up a perimeter around the building and used a public address system to try to persuade Beland to come outside, but said his response was to twice lean out a window with a 16-inch machete in his right hand, swinging it and yelling: "Just shoot me. F. . .ing shoot me!"
Police said he did the same thing while standing in his front doorway.
At one point, after police spoke with Beland on the phone, he came to the front door of the building, but when told to put his hands on his head and step away, he retreated into the building.
Police said Beland's girlfriend, who they did not identify, was with him in the apartment voluntarilty. Witnesses at the scene said she came outside with him, but after he retreated she also went back inside the building.
After two hours, Beland was taken into custody by SWAT members and taken to the Elliot Hospital for evaluation.
The felony animal cruelty charge accuses Beland of hitting his pit bull on the head, causing lacerations and stabbing the dog in the left hip.
Because Beland was out on bail on a charge of conduct after an accident, scheduled for arraignment Jan. 25 in District Court, prosecutors filed a bail revocation motion and a hearing was set for Thursday.
A probable cause hearing on the animal cruelty felony was set for Jan. 27. Trial on the misdemeanors was set for April 5. References |
