Charges filed against officer
This morning the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office will file misdemeanor charges against Keith Shepherd for the shooting of a dog at the Quail Run Dog Park in Severn earlier this month. Mr. Shepherd is a Civilian Police Officer with the Department of the Army. The charges are based upon a review of the entire report of the County Police Department and supplemental interviews conducted by prosecutors who specialize in animal cruelty cases and firearm cases.
The office also conferred with JAG, the Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Defense regarding the legality of the weapon. Those discussions resulted in the conclusion that as an officer with the Department of the Army, the defendant was allowed to carry his handgun.
The charges against Mr. Shepherd are both misdemeanors. They are:
Misdemeanor Animal Cruelty – Inflicting Unnecessary Suffering and Pain to an animal ($1000/90 Day Maximum Penalty)
Discharging of a Firearm within 100 yards of an occupied structure ($1,000/6 month maximum penalty)
The charges will be filed and handled in the Annapolis District Court. No trial date has been set. The Charges were filed by the State’s Attorney’s Office as a District Court Information. Mr. Shepherd will be issued a summons (not an arrest warrant) to appear for court.
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