NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — A Florida man is facing animal cruelty and other charges after investigators said he attacked and seriously wounded a dog with a machete.
An affidavit by a Volusia County sheriff’s deputy says 46-year-old Richard Nelson injured the dog during a confrontation earlier this month outside a New Smyrna Beach home.
According to the sheriff's office, the dog's owner says Nelson attacked her dog after she let him outside. The owner told deputies that while the dog doesn't like Nelson because of past encounters, but the attack was unprovoked.
Nelson initially told deputies he was just sitting in the backyard when the dog attacked him and bit him in the chest and he only used the machete to defend himself, the sheriff's office said.
Deputies say video surveillance showed Nelson's claim was a lie.
Video shows the dog roaming in the yard until it ran past Nelson and growled, the sheriff's office said. Nelson then picked up a machete and charged at the dog. He continued to chase the dog and started slashing him while the owner tried to get Nelson to stop, the sheriff's office said.
Because of this, Nelson is also charged with falsely telling deputies he acted in self-defense when the dog attacked him.
Court records show Nelson was arrested Friday and released on his own recognizance the next day.
No attorney is listed to speak for Nelson, who authorities say has no fixed address.
The sheriff's office says the dog was treated for his injuries and "was able to be up and walking around shortly after the incident," the sheriff's office said on Facebook.
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