INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has arrested a 53-year-old man who reportedly shot his neighbor's dog.
According to a post on IMPD's Facebook page, 53-year-old James Gaskins was wanted on a warrant in connection to shooting his neighbor's dog. Officials said that the warrant, issued on Wednesday by the Marion County Prosecutor's Office, was for the following charges:
- One count of killing a domestic animal, a Level 6 felony
- One count of unlawful carrying of a handgun, a Level 5 felony
- Two counts of intimidation, a Level 6 felony.
Police ultimately located Gaskins in the 1000 block of Blaine Avenue based upon a tip they received from a citizen.
The shooting took place on the day after Christmas last year. The dog's owner said he was shot simply because he was barking.
"He told me to shut the dog up or he was going to shoot him and he literally came up to the gate and shot my dog," Margaret McKinney said
McKinney claims she was standing right next to her 4-year-old dog Kratos when he was shot. The dog knocked her to the ground and then died in her arms.
"It scared me to death because I didn't know if it was me that got shot or my dog," said McKinney.
Margaret said she is still traumatized by the violence.
"I miss him a lot. I think about him all the time," said McKinney.
Police believe Gaskins was responsible for the shooting. Police also believe that Gaskins had no reason to fear for his safety because the dog was contained to the fenced backyard the entire time.
In the video, detectives said it showed Gaskins crouch down by a vehicle parked near the alley of the home, looking toward Kratos and the owner. Gaskins, who police claim was “never in immediate danger or feared for his safety,” snuck up on the dog and the owner, shot his firearm and then ran back to his backyard.
The next day, Gaskins reportedly threatened the owners of the dog, telling them that “if you prosecute, then I’ll shoot the rest of your dogs, then both of you.”
"This is a dangerous individual who has demonstrated a history of violence toward community members," IMPD officer Drew Brown said in the release
Just two weeks before the shooting, Gaskins also allegedly assaulted his own family inside their home on Kappes Street.
Court records claim Gaskins attacked his nephew on multiple occasions, including cutting him with a reciprocating saw.
Gaskins' family said they lived in fear of the suspect because of his violent temper and because he hadn't lived at the home in months.
A violation notice shows Gaskins was placed on GPS monitoring after being charged with the assault in March, but he damaged or removed the device this week.
Police hope the cases against Gaskins serve as a reminder that it's never OK to solve any dispute with gunfire.
"De-escalation is important. We can't allow something that could be handled by talking to your neighbor lead to violence," said Brown.
"He doesn't need to be out on the streets. If he'll shoot an animal, he could have shot me," said McKinney.
Jesse Wells contributed to this report.