Nevada man arrested after 7 'emotional support' tigers seized from his home
A Nevada man who was arrested Wednesday after seven tigers were seized from his home said they were his "emotional support animals."
Officials conducted a raid on 71-year-old Karl Mitchell's Pahrump home Wednesday morning and arrested the man for resisting arrest. Mitchell did not have a Special Conditions Animal Permit to own the animals, which is required by Nye County, and violated other rules over the years, officials said.
"We have received information over the years that he has been seen walking the tigers loose around the property, off the property in the desert," Nye County Sheriff Joe MCgill said in an interview with NBC affiliate KSNV. "There have been social media posts from him with people interacting with the cats which is also in violation."
In an interview with the outlet, Mitchell said he did not need permits because the tigers are his emotional support animals, and that the public was not in any danger from the tigers.
Mitchell also said he "rescued" the big cats from "Tiger King" Joe Exotic, the former Oklahoma zookeeper of Netflix fame who was convicted in a murder-for-hire case involving animal welfare activist Carole Baskin. He's currently serving a 21-year sentence in prison.
Mitchell initially accompanied deputies who were walking around the property during the raid Wednesday, but refused to hand over keys to the tiger cages so a veterinarian and wildlife refuge workers could inspect and take custody of them, according to a report from the Nye County Sheriff's Office.
The seven tigers were seized from Mitchell's home and evaluated by a veterinarian who was on site during their removal, according to the Nye County Sheriff's Office. The big cats will be taken "to an undisclosed sanctuary where they will be held until ordered to be released."
Court documents filed as recently as 2020 show a back-and-forth between Mitchell and Nye County, including the county asking the 71-year-old to move animals from his property and lawsuits he filed in response asking for over $1,000,000 in damages.
In a lawsuit filed by Mitchell and his wife in 2020, they allege that the county "has intentionally interfered" with their "business and private life" and caused extreme distress "due to the threat of the County taking what the County has recognized as their emotional support animals."
Mitchell was charged with resisting a peace officer during the seizure of the animals and booked into the Nye County Detention Center in Pahrump, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies also found a handgun in Mitchell's possession, triggering a charge of possession of a gun by a prohibited person, as he has been convicted of a felony.
Mitchell was released on $6,000 bail on the same day, per officials. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
McGill said more charges can be filed against Mitchell in the near future, adding that a couple of the animals taken from his property "visibly appeared to be underweight," and some of their water dishes had algae growing in them, KSNV reported.
Nye County District Attorney Brian Kunzi said his office "has not received any report or request for prosecution," in connection with Mitchell.
Mitchell is expected to appear in court on May 15, per court records.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
2 Dead After Fatal Shooting Near Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas: Police
An area of the iconic Las Vegas strip has been taped off as police investigate a shooting on Sunday, June 8 The incident occurred near the iconic Fountains of Bellagio, per an address provided by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) in an X post Two people have been confirmed dead in the shooting, LVMPD Undersheriff Andrew Walsh said in a news conferenceTwo people have died in a shooting near the iconic Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas. In the early hours of Monday, June 9, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) confirmed officers had responded to the incident on the strip at a time when it is usually busy with tourists. "We are responding to a shooting in the 3600 block of S. Las Vegas Boulevard. The shooting did not occur inside a casino. Please avoid the area," police wrote on X. The shooting occurred near the Bellagio Resort, per the address provided by police. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Officers who were on patrol nearby responded after hearing gunfire at around 10:40 p.m. local time, according to a clip of a news conference shared on YouTube by local NBC-affiliated station KSNV. Police discovered two people lying on the floor with apparent gunshot wounds, LVMPD Undersheriff Andrew Walsh said. Both died from their injuries, Walsh stated, adding that a person had been taken into custody. "At this point, we believe we have the suspect identified and that this is an isolated incident," Walsh said in the clip. He added that the suspect and a victim had "previously engaged in some type of conflict using a variety of social media platforms." LVMPD didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information. Video footage shared by KSNV on YouTube showed an area of the strip taped off by authorities. Clips of the incident have also emerged online after the reported shooting was allegedly captured on a livestream, per KSNV and Fox News Digital. The Bellagio Hotel and Casino didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
LA on Edge: Immigration Raids Fuel Protests and Federal Response
Los Angeles has emerged as the center of escalating tensions after federal immigration agents carried out coordinated raids throughout the city, triggering widespread protests. The demonstrations expanded beyond downtown, reaching cities like Paramount and Compton, where tensions escalated and clashes broke out between demonstrators and law enforcement. In response, the federal government took the extraordinary step of deploying thousands of California National Guard troops. 'There are a lot of undocumented people who are a part of the fabric of the community here,' local NBC reporter Jacob Soboroff told Katie Couric on Sunday during an IG Live. 'And it's really shaken people to their cores.' As the situation continues to unfold amid mounting concerns over public safety and civil rights, here's a closer look at how the protests began — and how local leaders are responding. Federal immigration agents executed search warrants at several sites on Friday, including a clothing warehouse in Los Angeles' Fashion District. According to Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Attorney's Office, the operation followed a judge's finding of probable cause that the employer had used falsified documents for some workers. Tensions quickly escalated outside the warehouse as a crowd attempted to block agents from leaving the scene. Later that day, protests spread downtown, where demonstrators gathered outside a federal building amid reports that immigrants — including children — were being detained in the basement following routine check-ins with ICE. Some protesters alleged that detainees were held without food or water and remained there overnight — claims that ICE later denied. Now, Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez is calling for an investigation, saying in a statement: 'These are not criminals. These are families who followed the rules, filed the paperwork, showed up on time. Instead, they're being treated like they broke the law just for seeking asylum.' By Saturday, protests also cropped up in Paramount, where demonstrators gathered near a Home Depot, one of several locations reportedly targeted by federal agents. What began as peaceful demonstrations — with chants of 'ICE go home' and 'No justice, no peace' — later turned confrontational. According to the LA Times, some protesters threw rocks and other objects, and one set a trash bag on fire. Sheriff's deputies deployed flash-bang grenades. The demonstration was later declared an unlawful assembly and protesters were told to disperse. The unrest continued into the evening in other parts of L.A. County, including Compton at a local donut shop, where similar demonstrations popped up amid heightened community anger over the raids. On Saturday, President Trump ordered 2,000 California National Guard troops to be deployed in response to escalating unrest in Los Angeles, targeting 'locations where protests are occurring or are expected, based on threat assessments and planned operations.' This marked the first time since the 1992 L.A. riots that a sitting president has mobilized state troops without the governor's approval. The initial contingent of roughly 300 troops arrived Sunday, with local station ABC7 airing footage of military trucks rolling through city streets and helmeted soldiers in green camouflage carrying rifles and distributing riot shields. The deployment comes in sharp contrast to the city's own policies: In November 2024, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously reaffirmed its status as a sanctuary city, explicitly prohibiting the use of local resources for immigration enforcement. This move is part of a broader, aggressive immigration crackdown under Trump's administration. Since the start of his second term, the president has pledged the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, and his administration has deported about 100,000 undocumented immigrants. Many of these deportations have come after Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a wartime authority that grants the president power to deport non-citizens without judicial hearings. The National Guard deployment drew swift criticism from California leaders. Gov. Gavin Newsom condemned the move in a statement Saturday night, saying local law enforcement had already been mobilized and warning that the presence of troops would 'only escalate tensions.' Legal experts also raised alarm. Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law, called the decision 'truly chilling,' adding, 'for the federal government to take over the California National Guard, without the request of the governor, to put down protests is unprecedented.' The administration has signaled it may go even further. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that active-duty U.S. Marines from Camp Pendleton could be deployed 'if violence continues.' According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE detained 118 undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles last week. Among those arrested were five people suspected of gang involvement, along with others who have criminal records for smuggling, drug trafficking, and assault. Following the initial arrests, protesters gathered on Friday outside a federal detention center, chanting, 'Set them free, let them stay! As for the protests themselves, Los Angeles police confirmed that by the morning of June 8, one person had been arrested related to the demonstrations. Several others were detained but hadn't yet been formally charged, according to multiple reports. The unrest highlights the deep divisions gripping the city over immigration policy and enforcement, a flashpoint that reveals not only local tensions, but also the broader national debate playing out under Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown. The post LA on Edge: Immigration Raids Fuel Protests and Federal Response appeared first on Katie Couric Media.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Sen. Cory Booker calls Los Angeles riots 'peaceful,' slams Trump for deploying National Guard
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., suggested the Los Angeles riots that have wreaked havoc on the city are "peaceful" on NBC's "Meet the Press," Sunday, and accused President Donald Trump of "sowing chaos" with his nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration. "The reality is, we see peaceful protests launching in Los Angeles," the New Jersey senator said, "A lot of these peaceful protests are being generated because the president of the United States is sowing chaos and confusion by arresting people who are showing up for their immigration hearings." The City of Angels was plunged into chaos over the weekend after hundreds of rioters violently clashed with federal immigration authorities, attempting to impede their ability to carry out deportations. Federal Officials Slam Democrats For 'Dangerous' Rhetoric As Ice Agents Face Violent Mobs In La, Nyc Federal agents attempted to disperse the belligerent rioters with flash grenades and tear gas on Saturday. In Compton, rioters set a car on fire and two motorcyclists circled the flaming wreck while waving a Mexican flag. Elsewhere, anti-ICE rioters attempted to block a federal bus carrying illegal immigrants, physically pushing against the vehicle as it inched forward. One rioter hurled rocks through the windshield of a Border Patrol pickup truck, wounding the agents inside. Images released by the Department of Homeland Security show buildings throughout LA that have been defaced with graffiti of violent messages like "Kill ICE." Read On The Fox News App "Now they know that they cannot go to anywhere in this country where our people are, and try to kidnap our workers, our people – they cannot do that without an organized and fierce resistance" a rioter told Reuters. Trump deployed 2,000 federalized National Guard troops to the scene against the wishes of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who the president claimed weren't doing their jobs. "If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can't do their jobs, which everyone knows they can't, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!" Trump posted on TruthSocial. Newsom spoke out against Trump's deployment, saying that the president was only sending in the National Guard because he wanted a "spectacle." "The federal government is taking over the California National Guard and deploying 2,000 soldiers in Los Angeles — not because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle,' Newsom posted on X. Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture Booker called Trump's response to the LA riots "hypocritical at best" due to his pardoning of the January 6 Capitol rioters. The Garden State senator said that Trump's deployment of the National Guard was a break from tradition and would only "incite" the situation. While Booker called the protests against ICE deportations "peaceful," he also called the attacks on law enforcement "unacceptable." Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth threatened to deploy active-duty Marines to the scene if the violence was not quelled. Hegseth mocked Newsom in a post on X showing a picture of a group of rioters posing in front of a burning car waving a Mexican flag, saying, "Another 'mostly peaceful protest' brought to you by @GavinNewsom. DEPORT."Original article source: Sen. Cory Booker calls Los Angeles riots 'peaceful,' slams Trump for deploying National Guard
