Mississippi Criminal Law BlogMost people around the world treat and value animals with dignity and respect. This is especially true for pet owners or owners of service animals. Service animals in particular, hold a high regard in the community whether they are personal service animals to assist in daily life, or if they are police agency service animals. Most people are familiar with animals being used to help police and other agencies do their job. However, some are unaware that if you injure one of these police service animals, there are heavy consequences that may follow.
In August 2022, a 19-year-old police horse named Eton, was struck by a drunk driver for the second time in Wilmington, North Carolina. Eton, a 16-year police veteran, is known for boosting the departments work in public relations as well as crowd control. The horse only had minor injuries in both instances and thankfully the horse is ok and back on the job. However, the driver not only had the dui to worry about, but also a potential felony for injuring a police service animal.
Just recently in March of 2022, a canine service animal was shot while pursuing a suspect in Moss Point, Mississippi. Richard J. McGuire, 44, was charged with commercial burglary, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and injuring a public service animal. Officers had responded to a burglary alarm at a shell gas station, where McGuire was located and began to run when officer buddy was released. Officer buddy chased McGuire into the nearby forest when officers heard gunshots radiate from the trees. Buddy then came out from the tree line and immediately collapsed on the ground before being rushed to undergo emergency surgery to repair the bullet wound in his chest.
https://www.wlbt.com/2022/03/29/police-moss-point-canine-officer-shot-during-pursuit-suspect/
In Mississippi, under MS code 97-41-23, it is considered a felony for any person, without just cause, to purposely kill or injure any public service animal. Furthermore, if a person willfully and maliciously taunts, torments, teases, beats, strikes, or exposes the service animal to harmful chemicals, they are guilty of a misdemeanor. The fines for these types of offenses can be anywhere from as low as $200 for a misdemeanor, and up to a maximum of $5,000 for a felony. Additionally, these “public service animal” laws are not only for law enforcement agency animals, but also any public safety entity or search and rescue agency.
While it is appalling when people intentionally mistreat or hurt animals, it is that much more serious when the animal is specifically trained to help, save, or protect the community. Although it is appropriate and understood that when being attacked by an animal, to defend yourself just as if you were being attacked by a person. However, just like a police officer can legally restrain you, so can a police dog, and if you aren’t able to resist fighting back, you will likely be in more trouble than you already were. These charges are both serious and complicated. Often times doing the right thing is difficult for us all and these types of cases must be carefully defended.
Enlist the help of a qualified attorney
When you are searching for the state of Mississippi for a qualified, experienced criminal defense attorney, look no further than Vic Carmody jr., p.a. no matter the circumstances of your case, the sooner you get in touch with a qualified and experienced criminal defense attorney, the better chance you have at a favorable outcome for your case. Over the years, we have helped countless defendants who have been criminally charged. Please call us for a free consultation today, and we can help you defend yourself in the unfortunate scenario of being arrested and charged with a crime in Mississippi.
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