We are shocked and disappointed at a decision by a special prosecutor in Page County, Virginia to dismiss on appeal the conviction of a Harrisonburg police officer who had been found guilty of animal cruelty in March for the beating death of an injured stray cat.
The officer, J.N. Snoddy, had been accused of viciously beating the injured cat to death with his nightstick on the porch of a resident’s home, and was convicted of animal cruelty.
We appreciate that this officer was investigated and then prosecuted, but in reality he received an anemic punishment for a heinous crime, and now even that punishment has been vacated.
We would like to hear from officials what specific procedural changes they’ve made since this incident to ensure that it never happens again.
Read the Press Release.