Photo: Humane Society of Macomb
A former Michigan corrections officer has been fired and charged after he confessed to torturing and shooting an adopted service dog last year, authorities said.
Genesee County Sheriff Christopher R. Swanson announced in avideo conferenceearlier this week that Jacob Wilkinson was terminated on April 22 after 42 days with the department.
Wilkinson helped train the pup before adopting it in September 2021, Swanson said.
“As he adopted the dog … there was a time somewhere between September/October-ish that he was trimming the dog’s nails and the dog nipped him. And that guy thought it was his ability, thought he had enough control over the dog that ‘you’re not gonna do that’ so he duct-taped the rear legs of the dog, duct-taped the front legs of the dog, and duct-taped the muzzle,” Swanson said.
He went on to say Wilkinson “dumped” the dog at a township near Saginaw last fall.
He said no one knew about Wilkinson’s past when he was hired in January. “He never disclosed in his interview that he shot and killed a dog, that he tortured a dog.”
He said Wilkinson also failed to tell a psychologist during his hiring process.
“He’s got a stellar background but never did we know or even think he’d torture an animal like that,” Swanson said, noting that Wilkinson has previously served in the National Guard and worked as an EMT.
Swanson said they discovered Wilkinson’s actions thanks to the “good work of our Saginaw County friends” and the road commission that saw the dog’s carcass on the side of the road. County officials determined via an autopsy that it had been shot three times and had a chip, which led them to Wilkinson.
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He added that the department has “zero tolerance” for what Wilkinson did, and they removed him while he was in the field after discovering his past.
“He confessed everything. He was immediately terminated. He’s worked at this office as a corrections deputy … He worked for the office of the Sheriff for 42 days. But I take full responsibility for his ignorance. I take full responsibility for the bad actions of the people. Even though it happened months before he applied, let alone worked here,” Swanson said.
“Some people talk about blue line, there ain’t no blue line when it comes to right and wrong.”
He said Wilkinson was “charged with a seven-year felony, he was arraigned, he’s on bond, he’s represented, he’s out of here.”
Wilkinson was charged with second-degree torture and killing an animal, according tomultiple news outlets. It’s not clear if he’s entered a plea yet.
Swanson concluded with a warning for public servants that “what we do off duty is just as vital as what we do on duty.”
Wilkinson’s attorney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
source: people.com
