COCOA, Fla. – A dog had to be put down after its owner tied the animal to a tree and shot it with a shotgun at a public park on Sunday, according to the Cocoa Police Department.
Police were called to Bracco Pond Park along Shearer Boulevard Sunday for reports of a man shooting a dog, then taking off in a red Hyundai SUV, according to a police report.
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An officer spotted an SUV matching the description and followed it, authorities said. The officer noticed the driver, identified as Isaiah Beavers, throw something into the back of the vehicle, then pulled it over along South Cocoa Boulevard, records show.
According to police, the officer placed Beavers in handcuffs and then searched the SUV, finding a shotgun in the trunk along with ammunition.
When questioned, Beavers admitted to shooting the dog after it had tried to bite him and his girlfriend, records show. Beavers said he took the dog from his home in Rockledge and drove it to the park with the intent to kill the animal, according to the report.
Police said the dog had to be euthanized because it was hurt too badly.
Beavers has a previous criminal record that includes a felony conviction for theft, according to investigators, and was driving on a suspended license.
He now faces charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and aggravated cruelty to animals.
As of Monday morning, Beavers remained locked up in the Brevard County Jail.