A Virginia police officer has pleaded no contest to felony animal cruelty within the deadly capturing of his fiancée's canine, which he tried to cowl up by saying he by chance killed the animal whereas attempting to cease a bear assault.
Richard R. Chinappi III additionally pleaded responsible to giving a false report back to police about how the beagle-hound combine was killed in October on the house the couple shared, the Richmond Occasions-Dispatch reported. The 27-year-old Richmond patrol officer is scheduled to be sentenced March 11.
The Powhatan Sheriff's Workplace acquired a name from the daddy of Chinappi's fiancée about an alleged bear assault at his daughter's house, in line with a abstract of proof by Powhatan Deputy Commonwealth's Legal professional Rob Cerullo.
Chinappi confirmed indicators of intoxication when officers arrived. They found blood splattered within the kitchen and smeared alongside the ground, which seemed to be "semi-cleaned up." The officers additionally discovered bloody Clorox wipes and a bottle of bleach.
In a police interview, Chinappi initially mentioned he was within the lavatory when he heard footsteps coming from the again deck. He mentioned when the canine began performing loopy, he realized a bear had entered the home. Chinappi mentioned he grabbed a shotgun and fired on the bear.
He mentioned the bear carried the canine off. However deputies could not see any indicators that a bear had been inside and even close to the house. They did discover proof that a weapon was fired inside the home, nevertheless.
When pressed by a police supervisor who insisted his model of occasions did not add up, Chinappi mentioned one shot that he fired went by way of the bear and hit the canine.
Chinappi mentioned he buried the canine within the woods close to the home. The stays had been despatched to a veterinarian for examination, and it was decided that the animal was shot at shut vary. There was a "large gap" within the canine's physique, together with remnants of shotgun pellets.
Mark Bong, Chinappi's lawyer, did not instantly return the newspaper's request for remark.
Chinappi, who was employed by Richmond police in October 2016, was positioned on administrative go away after his arrest. The deputy commonwealth's legal professional mentioned Bong wrote a letter to the Virginia Division of Legal Justice Providers saying that his consumer intends to voluntarily give up his legislation enforcement certification.