Pit bulls shot to death with .45
Cranford, NJ (US)

Incident Date: Sunday, Feb 29, 2004
County: Union

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Timothy Downey

A Cranford man killed his two pit bulls in the city with a .45-caliber Colt handgun, police said. Charged in the incident with animal cruelty and a weapons offense was Timothy Downey, 37.

Police on routine patrol heard gunfire Sunday at 6:30 p.m. on the 300 block of West Elizabeth Avenue. When they drove along by the railroad tracks, they saw Downey trying to stuff plastic bags in the back of his van, said Capt. Michael Boyle.

"He said he had to put the two dogs down," Boyle said.

Downey is free on $3,500 bail. He also was cited for discharging a firearm in the city limits, an ordinance violation.

The pit bulls were male and female, said John Weidele, city animal-control officer.

References

• The Home News Tribune

« NJ State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Union County, NJ

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.