Woman Jailed for Shooting Dog after Chase with Deputy
Posted
Aaron Organ-aorgan@timesuniononline.com
SYRACUSE – A Syracuse woman was jailed Thursday night after shooting a dog with a rifle less than 50 feet from a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s deputy trying to collar the animal.
Lee Ann Holderman, 50, of 15 EMS D22A Lane, was booked in Kosciusko County Jail on a preliminary charge of felony criminal recklessness two hours after police were called to her neighborhood for a report of a dog running the streets loose.
According to Deputy James Marshall’s incident report, as he arrived on EMS D22A Lane, Marshall said he immediately saw the unchained dog coming toward him. Marshall parked his squad car and began whistling and calling for the dog as he chased after it, the report said.
During Marshall’s pursuit, Holderman joined the chase, saying, “That is the dog,” and the pair snaked between houses in search of the dog, Marshall wrote.
As Marshall had the dog tracked to a back yard of a home, the animal pacing within 50 feet of him, he noticed Holderman approach from the side yard behind a shed.
That’s when Marshall said a shot rang, downing the dog, according to the report. Marshall said Holderman called out, “I got it,” the report said.
Marshall immediately drew his firearm and ordered Holderman to put the .22-caliber rifle down, which she did.
Marshall noted in his report that the homes in the area are very close together and that two homes were directly in the line of fire. Marshall said he lectured Holderman extensively about the dangers of opening fire in a residential neighborhood.
As the scene unfolded, the dog limped away, fell several times, regained and limped into the darkness, Marshall said.
Marshall called Kosciusko County Animal Control Officer Jerry Clase to the scene, and he and a Winona Lake officer set out to locate the injured animal. Clase was not able to locate the dog.
Holderman told Marshall she shot the dog because it attacked her own dog.
