Eric Harris: Florida deputy arrested for STOMPING and killing girlfriend's cat after heated argument
TAMPA, FLORIDA: A Pasco County Sheriff's office deputy has been arrested by the Tampa police for animal cruelty which included stomping his girlfriend’s cat which died of blunt force trauma.
Eric Harris, Pasco deputy was arrested by the Tampa police at his home on Wednesday, August 31. He is let go from his role at Pasco Sheriff's Office and is now facing charges of aggravated animal cruelty. As per the police report, Harris stomped a 3-year-old cat named Axel after getting indulged in a heated argument with his girlfriend over the mess her two pet cats created in the house.
READ MORE
Who owns Plainville Farms? Shocking PETA video shows staff torture, simulate sex acts on birds
SICK beachgoers drag small Blue shark out of the water by its tail to snap SELFIES
The couple who was dating each other for the past six months recently moved together into his apartment in Tampa but Harris was not very happy with his girlfriend’s cats. He complained to his girlfriend about the issues of her pets going outside of their litter box and jumping on the counters and furniture on August 21.
After the heated argument, Harris’s girlfriend left the apartment but when she returned at around 7 pm the next night, she found both cats hiding in their crate. When she tried to take out her 3-year-old cat, she found him with broken and bleeding toenails. The pet was acting weird and was unable to walk, claimed a report by the police. Harris' girlfriend rushed the cat to a veterinarian in Sarasota, where she referred it to an animal hospital for urgent care for its injuries. But sadly, the animal hospital failed to save Axel.
On the same day of Axel’s death, his vet contacted law enforcement and filed a complaint about the severe injury the pet suffered. Taking quick action Law enforcement interrogated Harris but he said Axel was completely fine and was acting normal when he was with him.
Days later, Law enforcement took another step into the interrogation and conducted a necropsy on Axel. As the result of the necropsy, the officials ruled his death was caused by blunt force trauma. There was severe hemorrhaging and bruising to internal organs and facial injuries, including a missing tooth and marks on his body indicating that he had been stomped on.
In Florida, aggravated animal cruelty is classed as, "A person who intentionally commits an act to any animal, or a person who owns or has the custody or control of any animal and fails to act, which results in the cruel death, or excessive or repeated infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering, or causes the same to be done."