Following the release of a video on social media that appeared to show him slamming a dog to the ground, a 21-year-old person has been charged in Coffee County with one count of animal cruelty. The video features the dog’s yelping sounds.
According to a Coffee County Sheriff’s Office incident report, on February 15, authorities discovered the video and recognized John David Lee as the perpetrator of the dog abuse.
The report states that a department Lieutenant saw Lee violently smack the dog to the ground in the video while claiming, “I know that she* hurts.” When someone then threatened to kill the dog, Lee said, “Good,” in response. “You’re f****** done,” he said, addressing the dog, and adding, “You’re not going to leave the yard again.”
According to the Lieutenant, he spoke with Lee in a house on Leon Sapp Road and asked him about the recordings.
Lee stated that the films were taken more than a year ago while he and other residents were living at a different residence on the same road. Lee said in the report that he “knew what he did was wrong” and that he used illegal drugs at the time. He told the Lieutenant he was doing well and hadn’t used any illegal narcotics since leaving that house.
After viewing the current house, the Lieutenant observed that it was cleaner and better maintained than the one in the video. Additionally, he mentioned that there were other dogs on the property, and they all seemed to be in good health.
The Lieutenant said that they had also located the dog from the video at the house. The report said that when the dog was photographed and animal control was alerted, the dog was eventually given to them.
According to the article, Lee was arrested on one charge of animal cruelty. He was freed on a $1,025 property bail, according to a copy of the Coffee County Jail roster.
