Guns, alcohol, and vigilantism do not mix.
<<<<BELLINGHAM — A Bellingham man annoyed by a barking dog was formally charged with felony animal cruelty Friday, Sept. 19, for shooting his neighbors’ corgi in their backyard.
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Police noted Latham “appeared to be fairly intoxicated and had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath,” according to the charges. Officers recovered nine guns from his home.
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At the time of the shooting, Latham worked as a branch manager at a Bellingham branch of Chase Bank. Both a district manager and a spokeswoman for Chase declined to say if he’s still employed there, citing bank policy.>>>>
Drunk, armed, and confused--a recipe for tragedy. The cretin lamented that he had "shot the wrong dog"----implying that there would have been a "right dog" to shoot----instead of seeking relief through legal means. Would not a reasonable person at least have made a request to the owner of the offending dog to quiet that yapping canine. Had Latham taken that course of action, he might well have identified the "right dog" and thus not killed a beloved pet.
The dog owners should file a civil suit against Latham and seek substantial damages. The belated remorse of a gun-happy, drunken lout is worthless as any kind of defense for his scurrilous action.
Should the nine guns that police removed from this nitwit's home be returned to him? Have his precious Second Amendment rights been infringed?