OH: reserve LEO charged with throwing kittens out of speeding car

[Vernal45]

HURON, Ohio(AP) A part-time police officer has been accused of throwing two kittens out of a car while driving at 70 mph.

Derik Wilhelm, 26, is charged with two counts of animal cruelty and two counts of abandoning animals. The charges are misdemeanors that carry up to 90 days in jail.

Wilhelm is an officer in the village of Castalia, about 50 miles east of Toledo, and a ranger for Erie MetroParks.

A man called the Erie County Sheriff's Office around noon Tuesday to report seeing a driver in front of him throw two kittens out a window. The caller estimated the vehicle was doing 70 mph on state Route 2.

The caller reached dispatchers again about 30 minutes later to report seeing the man toss another kitten, this time on a street in Lorain. Police there stopped Wilhelm's car, according to the sheriff's office.

Authorities couldn't find any kittens at the first location, sheriff's Capt. Paul Sigsworth said. They found one kitten in Lorain and treated it for minor injuries.

Messages seeking comment were left on Friday for Wilhelm at both agencies and with relatives.

Jim Lang, chief of operations for the parks district, said Wilhelm denied the allegations.

"The only thing he says is it's not true, it didn't happen," Lang said.

Wilhelm is due in Huron Municipal Court next week.

 

[VARifleman]

UGh! I'd have glady taken those cats in...

 

[Standing Wolf]

He lends new meaning to the term "littering."

 

[beerslurpy]

Oh god who cares? Nearly every neighborhood in this country is plagued with a surplus of cats. I could honestly kill a stray a day and still never run out.

Either there are real crimes remaining unsolved because of this, or we have too many cops with too much spare time on their hands. From my personal experience, it is almost always the latter. I kind of wish that people would throw cops from the windows of cars isntead of cats, because at least the cats dont draw salaries for their uselessness.

 

[fallingblock]

Well, I agree with beerslurpy....

And Standing Wolf!

We have an almost overwhelming problem with feral cats in central Australia.

They and foxes are stripping the native reptiles and marsupials from the wild.

Please, if anyone has a desire to throw cats from cars -

KILL THEM FIRST!

 

[VARifleman]

Please, if anyone has a desire to throw cats from cars -

KILL THEM FIRST!

But then that stupid cop wouldn't be able to test to see if cats always land on their feet...

 

[Azrael256]

Oh god who cares?

Anyone who places value on the sanctity of life. This sort of thing is called cruelty because it's a downright awful thing to do. If you have to euthanize an animal, fine, I'd rather you try to find a home for it first, but do what you have to do. There is a big difference between painless euthanasia at the hands of a trained professional and throwing a living thing out of a moving vehicle. We all agree that we should take great care to kill a game animal quickly and with a minimum of suffering. Why can't we exercise the same care with other animals?

 

[jefnvk]

Oh god who cares? Nearly every neighborhood in this country is plagued with a surplus of cats. I could honestly kill a stray a day and still never run out.

I don't have a problem with killing wild cats HUMANELY, which means NOT THROWING THEM OUT OF CARS

 

[P95Carry]

Leaving aside the report - which appears to show some far from ideal conduct - if this developes into a cop-bashing flame fest - it ain't gonna last! be warned.

 

[zahc]

There is a big difference between painless euthanasia at the hands of a trained professional

Such as a swift boot heal to the base of the skull?

Seriously, throwing cats out of a moving car, besides being sick and twisted, sounds like a really poor way to kill a cat. Cats are tough.

 

[rwc]

Wilhelm is

one sick puppy.

And for the cat haters out there - consider this - if he would do this to a cat, what do you think he's like when he's pulling you over for a speeding ticket?

We entrust law enforcement officers with one of the most important responsibilities any democracy delegates to one of its citizens - the power to control the liberties of his/her fellow citizens. Those who abuse such power do not deserve it.

 

[pax]

Not seeing a whole lot of "RKBA or related civil rights" in this thread.

But I do see two very hot, hot button topics: LEOs, and cats.

Closed.

pax