Pennsylvania State Trooper charged with felony animal cruelty after hitting horse with patrol vehicle

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania state trooper has been charged with felony animal cruelty after hitting a free horse with a patrol automobile a number of instances and pinning it to the pavement, the place it was then euthanized, authorities mentioned Friday.

Cpl. Michael Perillo was suspended with out pay after the costs have been filed by the state police inside affairs division, officers introduced. His bail was set at $50,000 throughout his arraignment Friday on two felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty and one depend of animal cruelty, a misdemeanor.

It isn’t clear whether or not he has an lawyer who can converse on his behalf. A message left Friday for the union that represents troopers, the Pennsylvania State Troopers Affiliation, was not instantly returned.

Perillo responded to a name to police Dec. 28 involving a horse on a freeway in Chester County, west of Philadelphia.

The horse was on the highway’s shoulder in Decrease Oxford Township and had already been struck by a motorist earlier than troopers have been despatched, authorities mentioned.

Perillo drove a automobile into the horse a number of instances, inflicting it to fall, after which pinned the horse to the highway, authorities mentioned. One other trooper then euthanized it.

Perillo, who enlisted within the state police in September 2006, is assigned to Troop J in Avondale.

The fees in opposition to Perillo have been introduced after the authorized window closed on requests for dashboard digital camera footage. State regulation gives 60 days to submit a request for a replica of an officer’s audio or video recording. Requests have to be made in writing by licensed mail or hand-delivered, and rejections might be appealed to court docket.