A man was arrested last week after he was spotted dragging an 8-month-old dog behind his truck in the Beverly neighborhood, but the man's wife called it "an honest mistake," the Southtown Star reported.
When an officer stopped Larry Chambers, 62, he punched the officer in the chest, according to police. Chambers was arrested and charged with animal cruelty, battery and resisting arrest.
The dog, a beagle and cocker-spaniel mix, was hurt but is expected to survive. It's missing a 2-inch piece of skin on its belly, and its paws are badly bruised, an activist who's part of the district's community policing program said.
The dog apparently tried to run along behind Chambers' truck, but eventually fell and was dragged.
The man's wife said their grandchildren tied the dog to the truck's hitch while they were playing, and when Chambers left to run an errand, he didn't know.
Chambers was hospitalized because the struggle with the officer dislodged a stent in his stomach, according to his wife. He is due in court June 22.
