Sulphur dog shooting case moved to DA’s office
Published 10:26 am Wednesday, May 28, 2014
The criminal investigation launched after Sulphur police officer Brian Thierbach shot and killed a dog during an arrest in late April has moved on to the District Attorney’s Office. A report compiled by the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office was sent Tuesday afternoon to the DA’s office, where a decision will eventually be made on whether or not to press criminal charges against Thierbach.
Holly Carter, the DA’s spokeswoman, said the time frame for reviewing the results of the CPSO investigation is hard to determine.
“It depends on which attorney is reviewing it as well as the number of files they are going to have to deal with,” Carter said.
Trending
Carter added that without considering any unforeseen factors, it could take the DA’s office at least several weeks before any decision could be made.
The CPSO sending the report is just another part in a controversial story in Southwest Louisiana. Dog lovers throughout the region and across the country have been vocal about their outrage over the death of Arzy, a 14-month-old Labrador-Newfoundland-golden retriever mix.
It all began April 28 when Thierbach responded to a call about two men hanging around the parking lot of the Southwest Daily News. Brandon Carpenter, 28, Arzy’s owner, and 21-year-old Logan Laliberte, both from Maine, were taking shelter from the rain in a nearby box truck.
At some point during the incident after Thierbach reached the scene, he shot and killed the dog. Witnesses have been disputing the claim made by Thierbach that he shot the animal only after it tried to bite him.
In an interview with The Huffington Post, Carpenter said the officer asked him if the dog would bite him. Carpenter said he told the officer, “No,” and described Arzy as an “incredibly friendly dog.”
Since the shooting, investigations were launched into the incident, a rally was held for Arzy, and Thierbach resigned from his position with the department.
Trending
A few days after the first investigation began, more than 100 people poured into Sulphur’s Heritage Square to show their support for Carpenter and to grieve the loss of his dog. People walked around with signs with phrases like “Abuse an Animal, Go to Jail.” or “All Dogs go to Heaven.”
At the time of the rally, a “Justice for Arzy” Facebook page had more than 6,000 likes. Currently, the page has closer to 9,000 likes. Shortly after the launch of the investigation and the rally, Thierbach resigned. At the time, Sulphur Police Chief Lewis Coats said the investigation found that Thierbach violated the department’s policy and procedure regarding use of force and personal conduct and behavior. Thierbach submitted his resignation prior to any final disciplinary action.
“I am a dog lover, and I am deeply saddened by this incident,” Coats said in a statement. “I realize there is nothing I can say that would take away the hurt this incident has caused Mr. Brandon Carpenter. The actions of Officer Thierbach did not represent what I expect from the officers of the Sulphur Police Department. Those of us who serve as law enforcement officers do so with the responsibility of serving and protecting the community as professionals. The resignation of Officer Thierbach was accepted so that the officers and community can heal and move forward.”
