Dispute Over Cats Prompted Shooting, Deputies Say

An ongoing dispute over a Port Richey woman’s cats has left a 56-year-old man hospitalized and now facing a number of criminal charges.

The incident in question began to unfold Monday night at 10305 Hickory Hill Drive in Port Richey.

According to a Pasco County Sheriff’s Office complaint affidavit, Frank Thomas Rogers went to his neighbor’s home armed with a rifle around 6 p.m.

Theresa Poligo told deputies she heard a loud knocking on her front door while she was cleaning her home. When she opened the door, Rogers was standing outside, armed with a rifle. He is accused of forcing his way in and telling Peligo that he was not going to let her call 911, the report stated.

Poligo “held the door as long as she could and the defendant forced it open,” the report said. Rogers, however, lost his footing and Poligo was able to get back inside, close the door and lock it.

At that point, she called 911.

When Deputy Thomas Garmon, 24, and Cpl. William Hatfield, 49, arrived on the scene, they found Rogers outside the home armed with a rifle. Garmon, the report said, instructed Rogers to drop the weapon, but he refused.

Rogers told deputies, “I want her to go. I will not be bullied,” the report said.

At that point, Rogers is accused of raising his rife and pointing it at Garmon.

Garmon, the report said, fired four shots, striking Rogers.

Rogers again raised the rifle, the report said, and “started to point it at Garmon, so Garmon fired two more shots.”

It is unclear if Hatfield fired.

Poligo told deputies she and Rogers are neighbors and that they have had an ongoing dispute over her cats.

After the shooting, deputies learned that Rogers texted his boyfriend and “asked him to look after his bird and to watch the news later,” the report stated.

Following the incident, Rogers was transported to a local hospital where he receiving treatment for his wounds.

The sheriff’s office says Rogers is expected to survive.

He now faces armed burglary, aggravated assault and two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer charges, according to the sheriff’s office.

Hatfield has worked for the sheriff’s office since 2003. Garmon has been employed by the agency since March 2015.

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