A Yorktown man allegedly shot and killed a dog after it reportedly “attacked” his own dog on the night of Wednesday, Aug. 5, according to a news release by the Yorktown Police Department.
The defendant is 61-year-old Yorktown resident James Molloy, according to the release. He is being charged with aggravated cruelty to animals and reckless endangerment of the first degree, the release says.
He was arrested Wednesday night and brought to the Yorktown Police Headquarters for processing. Molloy has since been released and is due back in court Aug. 11.
Molloy is a retired New York Police Department officer, the NYPD has confirmed to The Journal News. He is known to have made appearances on law enforcement-centered podcasts to discuss his experiences as an officer with the department.
Other positions Molloy holds, as per his LinkedIn page, include a development officer for the Ronald McDonald House New York, and a volunteer with his dog Jade for The Good Dog Foundation.
As of 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Molloy’s LinkedIn page was offline.
What happened, according to Yorktown Police
Officers responded to a report of a dog attacking another dog near a supermarket parking lot along on Route 118, about a half mile from Molloy’s home, around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, police said.
An initial investigation found the defendant allegedly used his firearm, which he had legally obtained, to shoot and kill the dog.
The dog belonged to a homeless man that was well-known in the Yorktown community, according to reporting by The Yorktown News.
‘A gross misuse of power’
Some Yorktown residents took to social media to share their thoughts on the situation.
“I am devastated for this man and the loss of his best friend,” wrote one resident on the Yorktown Heights families Facebook feed. “I’m not sure why we are pulling out guns and shooting them in the middle of town, but this was a gross misuse of power.”
“I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you can break up dog fights without a gun,” commented another.
(This story was updated with new information.)
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Yorktown man arrested after allegedly killing dog while on walk
Reporting by Leia Green, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Leia Green, Rockland/Westchester Journal News | USA TODAY Network
