Genesee County Jail Inmate Charged After Punching Remedy Dog

The Genesee County Jail’s 13-month-old remedy dog, Josie, was greeting inmates all through the jail when she will get viciously attacked by an inmate on Tuesday, September 24.

In a information convention recorded by way of Fb Stay, Sheriff Chris Swanson revealed what went down throughout the violent incident inside Genesee County Jail.

In the course of the encounter, Josie approached the inmate, Romello Maxwell, who was mendacity on the bottom, earlier than getting punched by him.

Josie began crying after being struck violently. And this prompted one other inmate, who was sweeping the ground, strategy Maxwell as a response to the violent encounter.

Sheriff Swanson reveals, “He struck Josie arduous sufficient that created a concussion and scrapped the within of her pupil.”

“She was despatched to the vet emergency, [where] she stayed there for a day and a half. We needed to get an MRI, we thought that it might have been a mind bleed and the fee is within the hundreds,” the Sheriff added.

After watching the surveillance video of the assault, Prosecutor David Leyton stated they charged Maxwell “as harshly as attainable underneath Michigan legislation.”

Maxwell is charged as a routine offender, which will increase the utmost penalty from 4 years to eight years.

Moreover, Maxwell has been revealed to have a historical past of assault in opposition to folks, having beforehand assaulted two deputies within the final yr.

“We’re going to carry folks accountable. In the event that they’re going to do this to those animals, they’re going to do it to folks,” Sheriff Swanson stated as he held Josie.

Leyton additionally stated, “I don’t assume the legal guidelines in Michigan are sturdy sufficient to guard our furry pals, and I believe that if the legislature is listening and watching, perhaps you’ll wish to take a invoice in that will increase the penalties for individuals who would hurt our pals, our canines and our cats.”

Sheriff Swanson additionally reveals throughout the information convention that Josie is now doing effectively and is again on the job.

Nonetheless, after the revelation that the dog is again to doing her job, folks on-line have been frightened for Josie’s life and the way harmful it’s for her breed, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, to be doing this job round inmates.

One consumer wrote, “Cavalier’s are too fragile to be put in potential hurt. Remedy dog sure for nursing properties, pediatric items, serving to sure however not inmates that had historical past of abuse.”

“Cavaliers are such small canines. I simply don’t perceive how anybody thought it will be sensible to reveal a small animal to inmates who’re identified to be willfully and carelessly violent,” one other wrote.

“I perceive that remedy canines will be useful, however on this situation, not less than use a bigger breed that has a greater probability at having the ability to defend itself and sooner or later, don’t depart them alone with these inmates to fend for themselves,” the consumer continued, earlier than continuing to name the incident a “careless mistake that would have been prevented”.