He faces three criminal charges.
BAY CITY, MI — Police are alleging that when a Bangor Township man’s dog ran away to his neighbors‘ house, he felt the best course of action was to pummel the canine with his fists.
When his neighbors intervened, he proceeded to tear through the property in their yard.
His violent tantrum has resulted in him facing three criminal charges.
About 8: 30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 14, Michigan State Police troopers responded to a home in the 3700 block of South Swiss Drive in Alpine Village Mobile Home Park. A 59-year-old man had called 911 to report that he, his wife, and a male neighbor were holed up in their house due to neighbor Ryan F. King threatening to harm them with a weapon, court records show.
Upon arrival, troopers spoke with the caller, who said that King’s pit bull had come onto his porch. The man gathered up the dog and handed it over to King a few seconds later. While on his neighbors‘ property, King grabbed the dog by its collard, yanked it off the ground, and punched it six to eight times in the face with a closed fist, the neighbor told police.
When the neighbor told him to stop, the 28-year-old King responded that he could „do whatever the f*** I want to my dog, “ the neighbor told police.
As they argued, King began ripping boards off a nearby dog house, flipped two glass patio tables, threw a plastic table into the street, and pulled a decorative shepherd’s hook from the ground and bent it, court records show. The older man told King to leave his property, at which point King replied that he was going to fetch his gun and come back to „take care of all of you, “ court records show.
King did leave the man’s yard, but came back a half-hour later. The neighbor told police he, his wife, and another neighbor stayed in their home and called 911. He said he never saw the gun, but was in fear for his life.
The man’s wife and his neighbor gave police matching accounts.
Troopers went to King’s trailer and encountered his father, who said his son wasn’t home, but that he’d recently called him to apologize. When the dad asked King what he was apologizing for, his son said „because he was probably going to jail tonight.“
As police spoke with King’s father, King walked onto the property. Noticing the police, he took off running. A trooper chased him through several yards before catching him and placing him under arrest.
King told police he went to his neighbors‘ house because „they were pedophiles and talking to 13-year-old girls, “ court records show. He said he brought his dog with him and held him by its collar, but never struck it. He also denied damaging his neighbors‘ property or threatening them.
King’s dad told police his son regularly beats his dog, despite his disapproval. He added it’s not uncommon for his son to outright punch the dog in its face.
King on Tuesday, Aug. 15, appeared in Bay County District Court for arraignment on single counts of assaulting, resisting, or obstructing police, cruelty to or abandonment of one animal, and second-offense malicious destruction of property less than $200. The first charge is a two-year felony, while the latter two counts are 93-day misdemeanors.
The arraigning judge set King’s bond at $50,000 cash-surety. If he posts it, he is to not be within a quarter-mile of his victims‘ home, not own any animals, or live in a residence with pets.
King is to appear for a preliminary examination at 2: 30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31.
King has a lengthy criminal record in Bay County, with convictions of malicious destruction of property, assault and battery, indecent exposure, drunk and disorderly conduct dating back to 2011. As of Aug. 17, he still owes $2,151.81 in court fines and costs from his sundry criminal escapades.
