Man Who Stabbed Pit Bull to Death Lied About Being Attacked

Science Reporter

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A man in Syracuse, New York, was arrested and charged with animal cruelty after fatally stabbing a dog in the neck last month.

Thomas Hemmingway told Syracuse Police officers that he had stabbed the black and white female bit bull in self-defense, claiming that the dog had bitten him on his right leg. Officers could see no injuries when he pulled up his pants leg to show where he was attacked.

Hemmingway has now been charged with aggravated animal cruelty, the Syracuse Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Monday, after new evidence showed he attacked the dog without provocation.

The Animal Cruelty Division investigated the case further and found surveillance camera footage of the incident that revealed that the dog had in fact not attacked Hemmingway at all and that the stabbing was, therefore, not an act of self-defense.

syracuse dog attack — Syracuse Police Department image of the man attacking the dog. The man initially claimed that the dog had attacked him first, but the footage showed that to be untrue. Syracuse Police Department

The Facebook post describes how Hemmingway walked along the street towards the dog and its unidentified owner, who had the pit bull on a leash.

"Hemmingway had what appeared to be a large butcher knife in his right hand as he approached the dog," the post said. "He attempted to grab the dog by the neck or collar, when the dog reacted. Hemmingway then stabbed the dog once in the neck. The dog was released by the unknown male who had it on a leash and it got away from Hemmingway.

"Hemmingway proceeded to antagonize the dog by stepping towards it and raising the knife above his head and yell. Hemmingway then calmly walks away from the dog. After being stabbed, the dog wandered into a corner store until Police arrive."

The dog was rushed to a veterinary medical center but died from its injuries.

pitbull — Stock image of a pit bull. The pit bull attacked by the man in Syracuse died after being taken to a veterinary medical center by police officers. ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

Hemmingway was arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty, and is currently being held in the Onondaga County Justice Center, local news station CNY Central reported.

In the comments of the Facebook post, locals expressed their dismay at the attack.

"I do wish we had "an eye for an eye" laws, when it comes to animal cruelty," one person commented.

"This makes me sick!" another commenter said.

There are around 4 million people bitten by dogs in the United States every day, one in five of which requires medical attention. Deaths as a result of a dog attack are rare: between 1999 and 2020, 33 people died on average each year from dog attacks in the U.S.

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