May 29, 2014 Bath man shoots pit bull, claims self-defense


Bath - Fred Miller, 82, was driving a golf cart in his neighborhood, armed with a shotgun loaded with bird shot, when a pit bull approached him.  He felt he needed to defend himself, so he shot the pit bull in the snout.
The Mason County State's Attorney, Roger Thomson, charged Miller with aggravated cruelty to a companion animal.

Thomson is reported to have said that being under attack by a dog would qualify Miller's actions as self-defense.  Evidently, you have to allow yourself to be attacked before you can defend yourself in Thomson's mind.  Thomson characterized Miller as merely "fearing that a dog could possibly attack." and the news article did not report Miller's account of the event.

The pit bull survived.

Miller says he will hire an attorney.

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