James Carr used pepper spray in self-defense when a bunch of individuals approached him after he shot a canine at Rancho San Rafael Park final month.
That’s one of many particulars in a redacted copy of a Washoe County Sheriff’s Office incident report the Reno Gazette Journal acquired Thursday in a public information request.
Carr killed Trish Lint’s Rottweiler throughout an altercation along with his Shih Tzu, named Cooper, within the park’s open discipline on March 17.
Carr was the primary person to name in a report of the taking pictures, in line with sheriff’s deputies.
Deputies arrived simply after 1 p.m. and searched Carr for weapons due to “the character of the decision.” In addition to a Glock semiautomatic 9mm pistol in an inside-waistband holster behind his proper hip, Carr had a pocketknife.
Carr describes taking pictures and aftermath
Carr informed deputies he had been on the park about quarter-hour when the incident occurred.
“James stated Cooper met up with another dog and they began sniffing each other,” a deputy wrote in his report.
“Shortly after they met, the larger dog bit Cooper around the back of his neck, picked him up and began thrashing him around. James attempted to pull Cooper from the dog’s bite but was unsuccessful. While further trying to free his dog, James was bitten by the other dog.”
Lint has mentioned that she thinks Carr’s personal canine may’ve bitten him as a result of Cooper was in her canine Reeva’s mouth on the time.
Carr estimated he was a foot to 18 inches from Reeva when he fired.
Carr informed deputies that after firing 4 rounds, he holstered the gun, picked up his canine and moved about 30 ft away earlier than calling 911.
“While waiting for Deputy response, James stated he was met with hostility and aggression from people in the dog park who were upset at him for discharging the rounds,” the report says.
“James told me several people were verbally attacking him and attempting to keep Cooper’s leash from him. Due to the concerning behavior from the crowd of people, James wanted to separate himself from the immediate area.”
Carr informed the deputy he by no means meant to go away the park however wished to distance himself to keep away from additional altercations.
One person within the crowd had a toy, about 2 1/2 to three ft lengthy, designed to assist in throwing tennis balls for dogs to chase.
According to the report, Carr mentioned the person “raised the chuk-it stick to shoulder level in a threatening manner several times while displaying his disgust for James.”
The person superior as if going to attack, Carr mentioned.
“Taking this behavior as a threat, James stated he pulled a can of pepper spray from his pocket, presented it to (the man) and informed him that he was going to pepper spray him if he continued to advance on him,” the deputy wrote.
“Despite several instructions not to advance, James stated (the man) continued to advance with the chuk-it stick raised, to the point he got close enough to grab James’s arm with his other hand. James stated he deployed the pepper spray in self-defense.”
The RGJ has opted to not give the person’s title with out reaching him for remark.
The account Carr gave differs from the Washoe County Regional Animal Services report on the incident. A witness informed animal management officers that Carr “maced the other gentleman when he got within 10 feet.”
Carr informed sheriff’s deputies that the pepper spray brought about the person to let go of his arm and he was capable of get Cooper’s leash and transfer exterior the fence line.
“Once in a safe area, James called dispatch again to further update them about the pepper-spray incident,” the report says.
The person with the toy stick informed a deputy that he didn’t need to be seen by medical personnel, wished to go away the park and didn’t need to press expenses for battery over being pepper-sprayed.
“This incident (pepper-spraying) was deemed to be in self-defense and therefore not a crime committed by James,” a deputy wrote.
The RGJ reached out Thursday to Carr for touch upon the report. He has not responded.
Lint’s perspective on what occurred
The deputy who interviewed Lint wrote that she mentioned she was sitting down along with her canine when a small white canine approached “aggressively.”
She “noted that her dog was on a leash, and the white dog was not,” the report says.
“Her dog and the white dog got into a fight. The owner of the white dog (James) attempted to break up the fight. She said James pulled out a gun and pointed it at her dog. She pleaded for James not to shoot, but he fired his gun approximately five times. She estimated the total time of the altercation was 10 seconds, and she was approximately 1-2 feet from James when he fired the gun.”
Conclusions by animal management and Sheriff’s Office
Washoe County animal management officers additionally went to the scene, spoke to the events concerned and assessed the realm.
“At the conclusion of their investigation, (animal control) officers determined (Lint’s) dog to be the aggressor and James’s discharging of his firearm was in self-defense,” the Sheriff’s Office report mentioned.
The sheriff’s deputy got here to the identical conclusion in his report.
“At the conclusion of my investigation,” he wrote, “James’s actions were self-defense and not criminal in nature.”
More: Owner of Rottweiler shot at Rancho San Rafael elevating funds to lower canine park altercations
Mark Robison is the state politics reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal, with occasional forays into different subjects. Email feedback to [email protected] or touch upon Mark’s Greater Reno Facebook page.
