Case Snapshot
Case ID: 6099
Classification: Beating
Animal: captive exotic
More cases in Norfolk City County, VA
More cases in VA
Abuse was retaliation against animal's bad behavior
« Back to Search Results
Login to Watch this Case

New features are coming soon. Login with Facebook to get an early start and help us test them out!



For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.



Wednesday, Jul 31, 2002

County: Norfolk City

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: David L Creech

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

An animal handler was arrested at Sterling and Reed Brothers' circus in September 2002 after he was seen striking an elephant repeatedly with a stick, police said.

David A. Creech, 31, of Glendale, Ariz., was charged with three counts of animal cruelty, according to Norfolk police spokesman Chris Amos.

Amos said Creech hit the animal with a stick used to control the animal in circus shows. He said the elephant suffered several lacerations, some of which were still bleeding when police arrived on the scene.

The men were part of the Sterling and Reed Brothers circus performing at Norfolk's Scope arena.

Creech was released after posting $2,500 bond apiece. A court date has been set for Sept. 4 in District Court.


Case Updates

On October 18, 2002, a judge found Sterling & Reid's elephant handler, David Creech, guilty on three misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. A fourth count was dismissed because it was not clear from eyewitness testimony which handler struck the elephant, named Joy, on the head. Joy was hit repeatedly with a sharp metal bullhook during elephant rides, leaving bloody wounds. Creech was fined $200 for each count.
Source: Circus News - 2002
Update posted on Dec 22, 2005 - 10:13PM 

References

« Back to Search Results
« VA State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Norfolk City County, VA

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.