Waukegan Woman Sees Alderman Beat Raccoon to Death With Tire Iron

Alderman Larry TenPas has not answered NBC 5’s requests for comment, but he told the Tribune he thought the raccoon had rabies and “was concerned about the safety of kids in the neighborhood."

A Waukegan woman said she called an animal control officer to help a sick raccoon – however, she was upset to see Alderman Larry TenPas beat the animal to death with a tire iron.

Carol Alleman the city's Animal Control department around 9:20 a.m. on Nov. 14 about a raccoon appeared to be in bad shape behind her house, according to a police report, The Chicago Tribune reported.

Alleman told the Tribune that an Animal Control department representative told her that someone would come the next day. When she was going back outside, she saw a man she identified as TenPas "whaling" on the animal with a tire iron.

"I saw him hit it 12 times at least," Alleman told the publication. "The raccoon was suffering. It was trying to get away from him and it wasn't able to. … I was sickened."

She told the Tribune he tried to put the raccoon in a box but “it was still twitching” so he continued to beat it.

TenPas has not answered NBC 5’s requests for comment, but he told the Tribune he thought the raccoon had rabies and “was concerned about the safety of kids in the neighborhood."

"I thought, I can take care of it. I take care of many problems in my ward," he said. "Thinking about it, I could have done it a little differently."

TenPas also disputed Alleman’s account of the event, saying the animal died quickly. However, he did say he felt bad after hearing from police that someone saw him kill the animal.

"I wanted to go up to the door and apologize," TenPas told the Tribune. "Then I thought, I might scare her again. I don't intimidate people."

Waukegan Police Cmdr. Joseph Florip told NBC 5 the Illinois Conservation Police are now reviewing the case.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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