The protest Tuesday morning on the courthouse lawn against Jerry Clase started out with a group of people marching and chanting ‘Replace Clase.’
But the chants changed to vulgarities yelled through a bullhorn after information came outside that Clase had been suspended without pay for five days by the commissioners inside.
"Five days, that's a drop in the bucket," protest organizer Phaedra Chaney said after she finished yelling "f*** you" through the bullhorn several times. "We've got legal representation, this is not over. It's a small victory, but a bulls**t victory. Did they do this to shut us up? This isn't over."
More than 50 protesters showed up Tuesday morning with signs, some even with Clase's face glued on them, denouncing animal abuse they allege he's committed as the county's animal control officer.
Clase, who's been the county animal control officer for 32 years, has been accused of abusing animals for years. Clase is an employee of the county who reports directly to county administrator Marsha McSherry, with employment decisions made by the county commissioners. Clase was investigated in 2010 after 16 complaints were lodged against him for animal abuse, but those allegations were deemed unfounded.
On June 19, Clase shot an Etna Green woman's dog, who Clase believed was suffering. The dog's owner, Sherry Koser, was at work when it happened and also said she was getting veterinary care for the dog. Koser also alleged her landlord illegally allowed Clase into her garage to steal her dog.
Koser was not present at Tuesday’s protest.
Clase was cleared of any wrongdoing by Indiana State Police and Kosciusko County Prosecutor Dan Hampton after an inquiry into the June 19 incident. Hampton deemed Clase's entry as legal, and operating under the existing protocol set by commissioners for animal control, Clase broke none of their rules, either.
After commissioners announced Clase broke no laws by shooting Koser's dog, the public backlash amplified.
Nick Kintzel plopped a chair down at Tuesday's protest and said Clase "needs to be put out.
"He threatened to shoot my dog just because it's a pitbull," Kintzel said. "He was sitting in his truck and said, 'I'll shoot the S.O.B.,' and I told him if he does that I'll go get my gun, and then he just drove off. He's wrecked at least four vehicles, he drives like a maniac, and I'd like to know if he's not an employee of the sheriff's department why was he out directing traffic with the state police and sheriff's department a month or so ago?"
Joyce Lee showed up at the protest from Beaver Dam with her dog Bodie.
"I've had several conversations with Jerry Clase," she said, and told a story about seven dogs who used to live near her house that she said were on four-foot chains in 20 below weather and 90 degree heat for several years.
"He came out a time or two," Lee said. "The problem is his idea of animal safety or humanity is not what ours is. He compared it to his livestock in a barn."
Brenda McClure of Milford wants to know why Clase's activity isn't monitored and documented like the police's.
"Why isn't there some type of documentation? There's just been way too much cover up," she said.
Friends Ann Zachary and Bernice Smith were holding up a sign together and both were quite mad.
"We're pissed off at all this animal abuse," Zachary said. "Our gutless commissioners wouldn't do anything then (the 2010 investigation), it's time for somebody to stand up to him. He has no business working with animals."
"They have no b***s, they don't do what the people want or anything," Smith said.
Margee Owens-Patka wants to know who's getting paid off to allow Clase to stay in office.
"He is an arrogant, smug man," Owens-Patka said, scoffing, "Five days suspended...pissed."
During the entire protest, sitting quietly by herself at a picnic table outside of the courthouse was Karen Olds.
"Jerry Clase is my dad," she said. "I just sat here and kept quiet, here to support my dad."
"They don't know the whole story," Olds said. "He's been doing this job for over 30 years. He knows how to make it painless and quick. And this lady out here screaming, 'motherf***er we're not done' in the bullhorn, like, really? There's a little kid out here on the bullhorn telling them ‘cowards to come out.’ Come on."
When asked why they decided to suspend Clase with no pay for five days if they said he did nothing wrong, commissioner Brad Jackson said, "That's the punishment that fits the personnel policy. He didn't break any laws but he used poor judgment."
The protesters vowed to take the case to the attorney general.
Reaction from passersby ranged from honks with thumbs or middle fingers up.
