DETROIT – A 29-year-old Detroit man accused of viciously beating a blue pit bull puppy shook his head throughout the magistrate’s reading of the disturbing details alleged in the case.
You can watch the full arraignment in the video above.
Lenard Maurice Shaw, 29, is accused of beating the puppy March 1 at a home in the 7380 block of Mettetal Street in Detroit, according to authorities.
Wayne County prosecutors said the puppy broke Shaw’s $50 replica Cartier sunglasses, so he filmed himself beating the dog unconscious.
“While there are no priors, and while these are just charges, this describes a savage beating of a small puppy,” 36th District Court Magistrate Malaika Ramsey-Heath said. “More concerning -- or maybe not more concerning, but lending to the credibility of the allegations -- is the statement in the investigator’s report that he was upset that the dog broke a pair of his sunglasses and recorded himself beating the dog for it and sent the owner of the dog video of the beating.”
While Ramsey-Heath read through the alleged details of the case during Friday’s arraignment, Shaw could be seen on video shaking his head. But Ramsey-Heath continued to go through the case file.
“The owner of the dog later hearing what’s described as a faint whimpering outside of her home,” she read. “She was in the hospital at the time this occurred. She went out and found her puppy in the trash can -- her son’s emotional support animal.”
Shaw was charged with second-degree killing/torturing animals, a seven-year felony, and abandoning/cruelty to one animal, a 93-day misdemeanor.
Ramsey-Heath said Shaw confessed to assaulting the dog and recording that beating on his cellphone. He also admitted to throwing the dog in the garbage can, she said.
“It is extremely cruel, not only to the animal, but to the owner of the animal and to her son, who, apparently this was his emotional support animal, in some way,” Ramsey-Heath said.
She set Shaw’s cash bond at $50,000. A bond redetermination hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday.
“I do think that (he’s) a danger to the community: the taking away, viciously, of someone’s emotional support animal, doing it, allegedly, in such a blatant way that video was recorded of it and was posted for public viewing, sent to the owner,” Ramsey-Heath said. “It concerns me that it’s, quite frankly, the kind of thing that could escalate. If you want to hurt a person by destroying a living, breathing thing that is important to them and sending them video of it, I don’t know what he might do to that person the next time he wants to inflict emotional pain upon them.”
A probable cause conference is scheduled for 9 a.m. March 31, and a preliminary examination is scheduled for 9 a.m. April 5.
