​Man Guns Down Dog in Lieu of Vet Visit

MILWAUKEE, WI — A Milwaukee man was arrested in February after he reportedly shot his dog - instead of taking it to the vet for an apparent medical condition.

Milwaukee police responded to the area of N. 26th St. on a report of shots fired. When police arrived, they located a deceased gray pitbull whose body was still warm. Other officers in the area saw a man, who was identified as Marcus Evans, walking down the sidewalk on the 2900 block of North 27th Street.

According to Evans' criminal complaint, officers noted footprints in the snow leading from the deceased dog to the area where Evans was located by police. Officers recovered a dog leash and dog collar from a pocket of the sweatshirt Evans was wearing. Officers also found a loaded black .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun in a holster on his hip, concealed by his sweatshirt.

During an interview, Evans told the investigator that he had the firearm in a holster on his waistband when officers caught up with him. He went on to state that he knew he was not supposed to have a gun because of his status as a convicted felon, but that he had the gun for protection, Evans' criminal complaint stated.

According to his criminal complaint, Evans told police that he shot the dog because it was sick with parasites on the dog’s skin. He went on to say that although the dog had not been treated by a veterinarian, he attempted to diagnose and treat the condition by performing online searches.

His criminal complaint stated that he then told police that he wanted to surrender the dog, but instead shot the dog.

According to court documents, Evans was previously convicted of two felony offenses, Armed Robbery and Second Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety.

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