UTICA -- An Oneida County man will spend time in prison after admitting he shot his dog in the head.
The Oneida County District Attorney’s Office tells CNY Central that William Richerson of Fountain Street in Clinton pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of felony aggravated animal cruelty and criminal possession of a weapon. Richerson was accused of firing two shots into the head of his family’s Jack Russell Terrier named “Sam” on April 5.
When Richerson’s wife called police to the scene, they found several firearms, including a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol and a .380 caliber Colt semi-automatic pistol in a gun cabinet. Prosecutors say Richerson did not have a license for those weapons.
Police told CNY Central after the incident that Richerson was “emotionally upset” when he took his dog to the basement and shot him.
Richerson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17. The DA’s Office says he faces local jail time on the animal cruelty charge and state prison on the weapons charge, per state law.
