Docs: Fort Bliss soldier charged with animal cruelty says dog was service animal
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A Fort Bliss sergeant who was charged with animal cruelty earlier this month told police that the dog was his service animal, according to court documents obtained by KTSM.
Fort Bliss soldier arrested for animal cruelty in Socorro after video of tethered dog goes viral
David Scott, 46, was arrested on Thursday, June 5, and charged with cruelty to non-livestock animals: kill/poison/serious bodily injury after tethering his service dog, Rooster, to an 'extremely hot metal surface in the back of a truck, causing it unjustifiable pain and suffering' on Thursday, May 29, according to court documents.
Court documents say Rooster, a 1-year-old red heeler, was seen in distress in the back of a truck that Thursday afternoon, which was parked at Las Palmas Marketplace at 1319 George Dieter.
A witness told police that after exiting a store in the strip mall area, she noticed a dog was panting heavily, shaking, and balancing itself on the edge of the bed of the truck.
The witness took a video of the dog and captured the moment the dog slipped and was hanging by its collar. The witness then helped the dog back onto the truck bed, telling police that the truck bed was extremely hot to the touch, court documents said.
The witness then retrieved a blanket from her vehicle and placed it on the bed of the truck to provide some relief for the dog. The witness confirmed that the dog had no water, food, or shade, according to court documents.
The witness sent the video to a popular social media page on Instagram, to which the social media account advised the witness to report the incident to authorities, according to court documents.
An officer responded to the scene shortly after and made contact with Scott at a restaurant nearby. Scott told the officer that he had seen the video on social media stating, 'We were inside Ariat and I do have lead back there. So, I just saw the clip on FitFam, but when I watched it, he slipped off and came right back on. He wasn't hanging there, because by the time I came back out to the truck, he was already back on,' according to court documents.
Scott then confirmed to police that the dog was his service animal and told police that the video on social media 'does not accurately reflect what the dog is capable of, claiming that Rooster has jumped from helicopters and participated in missions with him,' court documents said.
Court documents say the dog was secured to the truck's rail with a leash, preventing it from moving freely. Scott was then seen entering a store, leaving the dog exposed to direct sunlight without any form of shade. The truck bed, made of steel, became extremely hot, creating hazardous conditions for the dog, court documents said.
At the time of the incident, the ambient temperature was recorded at 95 degrees, while the steel surface of the truck bed reached 140 degrees, according to court documents.
Court documents say Scott intentionally and knowingly caused the dog unjustifiable pain and suffering by leaving it tethered to the bed truck under extreme heat conditions. This act of 'negligence' subjected the dog to physical distress, pain, and suffering.
Scott was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility under a $30,000 bond. He later posted bond on Sunday, June 8.
A Fort Bliss spokesperson confirmed that Scott is a sergeant assigned to the Soldier Recovery Unit at William Beaumont Army Medical Center.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Burglars hit home of Bay Area death metal guitarist days after fatal police shooting
Two men have been charged with breaking into death metal guitarist Brian Montana's home to steal his credit cards and car just days after he was shot and killed by police following a violent neighborhood standoff, authorities said. Richard Vaka, of Newark, and Norman Desumala, of Fremont, were arrested June 5 after a South San Francisco Police Department investigation tied them to a burglary on the 300 block of Arroyo Drive that occurred May 2 — four days after Montana's fatal confrontation with police. The break-in took place shortly after 6 a.m., while the residence was unoccupied, according to police. Montana's friend Rob Estrada noted on Facebook that the guitarist's family still lived in the home, though they had stayed elsewhere immediately following the shooting. 'The suspects forced entry into a home that had been temporarily vacated following a tragic neighborhood incident, before stealing personal property and a vehicle,' the department wrote in a Facebook post on June 9. Detectives identified the suspects through a witness description and evidence that one of the stolen credit cards had been used at a Bay Area casino later that day. Vaka and Desumala were later taken into custody during an unrelated police encounter in Fremont, officials said. Vaka faces charges of first-degree burglary, vehicle theft and grand theft. Desumala has been charged with theft and fraud-related offenses. Both men were booked into Alameda County Jail and remain in custody. Montana, 60, was killed April 28 during an extended exchange of gunfire with police that began after a dispute with a neighbor over fallen tree debris. According to authorities, he fired multiple weapons — including a handgun, shotgun and rifle — at officers and homes before he was fatally shot. An early member of Possessed, Montana played on the band's influential 1984 'Death Metal' demo, widely credited with coining the name of the genre. Though he left before the release of the debut album, 'Seven Churches,' his role in the band's formation helped define its aggressive sound. The band paid tribute to Montana in an Instagram post shortly after his death. 'Brian Montana was a very nice guy,' the caption read. 'He was jovial and a gentleman. He was into martial arts and he was an excellent guitar player. Brian was always cracking jokes and he was a good person. Although we weren't in touch often and more than a phone call here and there. The Brian I know is from when we were still just kids back in the beginning of Possessed. He was nothing like what I'm seeing being written about him. In fact, I think that's one of the reasons that led to him leaving Possessed. He just wasn't willing to be as dark as we wanted him to be at that time. We were going for that evil imagery, and Brian was just so lighthearted, even goofy in a good way.' The band went on to ask for the public to respect the privacy of his family and close friends as they continue to mourn his death. 'He was obviously going through some struggles and I think this is the time to be respectful towards the Montana family and friends as this is a tragic time for them,' Possessed wrote. 'I'm sure there's a lot more to this story but that would be up to Brian's family to tell or not to tell. I know that I still feel this is a great loss and I'm deeply saddened.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Singaporean jailed six months in Taiwan for stalking Golden Melody Award winner Olivia Tsao Ya-wen
TAIPEI, June 12 — A Singaporean woman has been sentenced to six months in jail in Taiwan for stalking and harassing Golden Melody Award-winning singer Olivia Tsao Ya-wen, after her obsession with the star escalated into threats and public confrontation. According to The Straits Times, Cassandra Low, a woman in her 30s, was found guilty by the New Taipei District Court of endangering the personal safety of Tsao, and of offences including stalking, harassment and public insult. The court's verdict, published on June 5, followed months of troubling behaviour that forced the singer and her agent to leave their homes. Low, described in court documents as a long-time fan of Tsao, began contacting the singer via personal emails and messages on Facebook and Instagram from November 2023. However, her behaviour took a dark turn after she was blocked on social media by Tsao. According to the judgment, Low reacted by posting threats and abuse directed at the singer, her family, and her agent. In one Facebook post, she wrote: 'I can be very aggressive. The more stubborn she is... don't blame me for whatever I do to her parents.' In another, she said: 'Blocking me, see how I slowly let her agent die.' The online threats eventually drove both Tsao and her agent to leave their residences in New Taipei City out of fear for their safety. The situation intensified in February when Low followed Tsao to Banqiao high-speed rail station after learning the singer was travelling. She grabbed Tsao's luggage and phone in an attempt to pressure her into restoring contact. In a video recorded by Tsao, Low is seen physically blocking her and demanding a reconciliation until police intervened. The court sentenced Low to six months in prison. She may choose to pay a commuted fine of NT$1,000 (S$43) per day of her sentence, but the court noted that her high salary as a Singaporean — reportedly more than twice that of a typical Taiwanese worker — meant a financial penalty alone would not reflect the severity of her actions. Low will be deported once she serves her sentence or pays the full fine. Tsao, 38, responded to the verdict in a June 11 post on social media, saying: 'This is the most comforting piece of news I have received recently,' and thanked her supporters and legal team for their help. Better known by her Chinese name Tsao Ya-wen, the singer performs primarily in Taiwanese Hokkien and won the Best Female Taiwanese Singer award at the Golden Melody Awards in 2021. She has previously spoken about feeling 'helpless and uncomfortable' when fans crossed personal boundaries, though she did not identify individuals at the time.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
DC mother found guilty of murder for death of 16-month-old daughter
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — A D.C. woman was found guilty of murder Wednesday in the death of her 16-month-old daughter in March 2017. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office (USAO) for the District of Columbia, 39-year-old Faneisha Scott was found guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree cruelty to children and second-degree cruelty to children. FCPD: Ex-Youth summer program leader charged with secretly recording minors Evidence stated that around 2:45 p.m. on March 21, 2017, Scott's friend- and her daughter Rhythm Fields' godmother- went to Scott's home in the 5400 block of C St. SE. The friend's 8-year-old child asked to play with Rhythm, but the friend found Rhythm in her playpen 'unresponsive and cold.' Scott went outside and flagged down a mail carrier, who called 911 and went back into Scott's apartment with her. The mail carrier saw 'Rhythm on the couch, lifeless. The child's body was cold, her body was stiff, and her eyes were fixed,' the USAO said. The mail carrier remained on the phone with 911 until two others entered to give Rhythm CPR. The USAO said that one of these individuals was an experienced former firefighter who immediately recognized that Rhythm was dead. Scott told first responders that she hadn't had any contact with Rhythm since 9 a.m. 2 teens charged with 9 armed carjackings, robbery in DC; police search for more suspects The D.C. Medical Examiner's Office did an autopsy on Rhythm's body and ruled in February of 2018 that she had been killed and that her cause of death had been multiple blunt force injuries. The Medical Examiner's Office listed the following injuries: Contusions and abrasions of the head, neck, torso and extremities Subdural hemorrhage Cerebral edema, subarachnoid hemorrhage and acute hypoxia-ischemia Retinal and optic nerve sheath hemorrhage Twenty-three bilateral rib fractures, showing both healing and new fractures Scott's sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 29, 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
