A Dover man accused of taking pictures a canine whereas in Oak Orchard in 2021 was discovered not responsible on all expenses Oct. 10 by a Sussex County Superior Court jury.
Herbert Manley, 59, hugged his lawyer Scott Wilson after the choice was introduced, and a few of his supporters brazenly cried for pleasure.
Manley didn’t remark following the jury resolution, however Wilson was grateful for the result.
“I don’t think the case should’ve ever been brought,” he mentioned. “There was a lot of media attention, and there were a lot of false narratives put forth.”
Manley was charged with three felonies – cruelty or unnecessarily killing an animal, first-degree reckless endangering, and possession of a firearm throughout the fee of a felony. Superior Court Judge Mark Conner allowed the jury to think about a lesser misdemeanor cost for animal cruelty and a misdemeanor cost of second-degree reckless endangering.
Taking the stand in his personal protection Oct. 10, Manley informed the jury that the canine was operating unfastened and was threatening him and his fiancee as they tried to walk down an Oak Orchard avenue to the water. After operating at them twice, Manley mentioned, the Labrador retriever lunged at him a 3rd time with tooth bared when he shot the canine together with his handgun.
“As soon as I saw the dog the first time, I was concerned and fearful,” mentioned Manley, a retired Secret Service officer with a long time of weapon coaching. “I didn’t want to kill him, so I hit him, boom.”
Manley’s fiancee, Arlette Ballenger, had testified that the canine was foaming on the mouth.
During testimony on the primary day of the two-day trial, the canine’s proprietor and a number of other neighbors mentioned the canine, Tank, was only a playful puppy who would by no means damage anybody.
Karen Sekcienski, Tank’s proprietor, broke down whereas on the stand, telling a heartbreaking account of seeing Tank with blood coming from his mouth after he had been shot.
“I couldn’t understand why my dog was shot,” she mentioned. When she heard that Tank was aggressive towards Manley and his fiancee, Sieznski mentioned, “That really bothered me because that would have been so against his personality.”
Sieznski and her husband instantly drove Tank to an animal hospital in Salisbury, Md., the place the vet mentioned the canine was secure however had harm to his tongue, higher palate into the nasal cavity, and was lacking tooth. The vet advisable the couple take Tank to a dental surgeon in Annapolis, Md., or Philadelphia, Pa., Sieznski mentioned, however the vet couldn’t say whether or not surgical procedure would repair him. Sieznski mentioned she made the choice to euthanize her canine as a result of she couldn’t bear driving to an unfamiliar space along with her pet who was in clear misery.
“It was a bullet that did all the damage, but I had to make a decision to put my dog down,” she mentioned.
