A Baltimore City Police officer was arrested this week, after he reportedly killed a seven-month-old puppy, then sent photos of the remains to his girlfriend.
Law enforcement officials on Wednesday said 27-year-old Alec Taylor, who has worked with the city police department for almost five years, was charged with "intentionally and cruelly killing a seven-month-old puppy," according to CBS' local station in DC.
Taylor was also suspended from his position in the force without pay, pending the Montgomery County Police's investigation, FOX Baltimore reported.
The 27-year-old reportedly became viciously angry when the Jack Russell Terrier he owned with his girlfriend relieved himself on one of the carpets inside the couples' Castle Boulevard home in Silver Spring. Taylor reportedly chased down the dog, named Rocko, while trying to force him from behind a dryer with a mop. He then strangled the dog to death using his hands, according to the Feb. 28 police report obtained by CBS.
Taylor's girlfriend said she received a text message at about 4:30 p.m. on February 26 from Taylor saying that the dog had defecated inside the house and that he had killed the dog. The boyfriend then sent along another text message - a picture of what looked like a deceased puppy.
Taylor told his girlfriend in a subsequent phone call that he was sick of cleaning up after the dog, and that he'd hit the puppy with the mop out of rage. He then admitted he'd put the dog inside one of the parking lot dumpsters near the home.
A necropsy revealed Rocko's cause of death to be acute hemorrhagic shock from blood loss caused by blunt force trauma that led to liver damage right before death.
A warrant for Taylor's arrest was obtained by Animal Services Officers on Tuesday night. Taylor turned himself into authorities the next day, according to FOX Baltimore's report.
"Allegations of animal cruelty are taken seriously by the Baltimore Police Department," law enforcement officials wrote in a statement emailed to the news agency. "Over the course of the last year, significant emphasis has been placed on developing and training investigators to handle animal abuse incidents in Baltimore."
