Editor’s note: This article contains graphic descriptions of a crime scene. Readers are advised to continue with care.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A Tallahassee man was arrested Sunday night after allegedly shooting his neighbors’ dog, according to court records.
John Pender, 30, initially faced charges of aggravated animal cruelty, child cruelty and armed burglary in connection to the incident on Heathrow Drive on Saturday, his arrest papers revealed.
However, during a court hearing Monday, a judge found no probable cause for the armed burglary charge and set a $2,500 bond for each of the other two charges.
Since then, Pender has been released from jail.
The 30-year-old man made several statements, indicating that his neighbor’s dog bit his 10-year-old child, which led to him shooting the dog, according to the records.
Pender’s arrest papers did not provide evidence regarding whether or not the dog bit anyone.
The neighbors’ lawyer, Gautier Kitchen, said Pender refused to allow law enforcement to see his child after deputies asked to see who allegedly had been bitten.
Kitchen also said that the dog is 90% blind and does not have a history of violence.
We’ve reached out to Pender’s attorney, Mutaqee Akbar, and are awaiting a response.
The incident unfolded around 5 p.m. on Heathrow Drive Saturday, the court records revealed. Leon County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the area due to shots fired.
Upon arrival, court documents indicate that deputies made contact with Pender’s neighbor, who claimed that their dog had gotten out of the home. Deputies said one of the neighbors’ children began to chase the dog outside in an attempt to get it back inside the home.
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However, court records go on to say that’s when the dog began to approach Pender’s child, who was also outside.
One child at the scene at the time of the incident told deputies that they saw the dog approach Pender’s child but did not see the dog bite his child.
Pender then began to allegedly chase the dog around a truck, according to the documents, and shoot once at the dog.
The arrest papers go on to say that Pender’s neighbor told deputies the dog was called to their vehicle, in which the dog got in the vehicle, and the neighbor’s partner closed the vehicle’s door.
Deputies said Pender then proceeded to open the vehicle’s door and shoot a second round at the dog before getting into an SUV and leaving the scene.
Ring doorbell footage showed Pender shooting the dog, deputies said.
WCTV obtained that video. However, due to the disturbance, it will not be played in our report.
The following day after the incident, deputies took Pender into custody without incident.
During the court hearing Monday, Pender was also ordered not to have contact with any witnesses and must surrender all weapons within six hours of getting out of jail.
Editor’s Note: Based on updated information shared by Attorney Gautier Kitchen, this article has been updated to reflect that someone was not in the vehicle when the dog was shot.
This story will be updated as we learn more.
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