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A Vernon Hill man, on an approved ride along with a Danville police officer, wound up being arrested for killing an opossum while on that ride.
Lt. John Henderson issued a news release Tuesday that said Evan Bryce Schuler, 22, was participating in the department’s ride-along program on June 20. The officer stopped to refuel on Monument Street, and Schuler left the vehicle.
“Schuler jumped from the front passenger seat of the police vehicle without saying a word and ran toward an opossum that was running along the perimeter fence,” the news release said. “Schuler kicked the opossum several times, killing it.”
When two officers confronted Schuler, he told them he lives on a farm and opossums routinely kill his chickens. Schuler told the officers his behavior was “instinctive.”
Following an investigation, Schuler was charged with cruelty to animals. He was arrested Tuesday and released on a summons to appear in Danville General District Court.
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Reader Reactions
Too bad he didn’t just arbitrarily pull out a gun and shoot the possum. Then he could have claim self-defense like the brave dog-killer cop.
JAF you are mighty hard on those Chatham folks, glad I’m not from there!Oh by the way its not malt liquor just good old PBR. Tammy Wynette was pretty hot in her day, at least George thought so and I really like cats just not opossums they eat the cat food. The banjo thing is out, only thing I can play is the radio and call me rick is right I don’t think there is a Tightsqueeze Fire Department. Other than that I think I have beat this opossum thing enough, no pun intended. Have a great day, I’ve had fun with this. To the Danville PD you guys do a great job in a difficult town. Keep it up!
I am thinking that as long as an Officer does it, it is Ok….Only Civilians get fined for doing wrong.
A some point before Mr. Schuler began kicking the opossum, the opossum showed his teeth and growled at Mr. Schuler. A couple weeks ago DPD chief Broadfoot stated that type of behavior is characteristic of an animal with rabies and defended an officers for shooting a miniature dachshund that threatened him, the officer claimed. Now, a ride-a-long kills an opossum by kicking it and he is charged with animal cruelty. What gives?? In both cases an animal was killed unnecessarily. And, it appears that these two unnecessary animal kills are being handled very differently. Why?? Chief Broadfoot it seems to me you need to make up your mind just which side the fence you are going to sit on. You gotta make up your mind. Right now it appears it’s OK to discharge a firearm in a low-limited light situation, in a residential area but it’s not alright to kick an opossum that is threatening. I’ll bet if one of your officers had taken the trash out back to the dumpster. And, that same opossum had growled at him as he threw the trash away. That officer could have shot and killed the opossum and not a thing would have been said about it.
It looks to me like Danvill PD is reporting everything that takes place big or small, see the post of all of the arrests for Breaking and Enterings, but no, I juess it is a secret still, they have made some arrests too, but no that is a secret as well.
I think the officers have pretty good job security as long as citizens keep on covering things up for their neighbors and the judges keep giving these slaps on the wrists.
I do not see their jobs leaving anytime soon. Yes there are a lot of bigger things going on in Danville, but when they are talked about, it is not as much of an opportunity to trash talk some hardworking people.
So be it be simple and move on.
I’m confused…when did Tightsqueeze get a fire department?!?
This is clearly Broadfoot’s way of trying to regain the trust of his city. A man is charged for killing a rodent, and it’s the biggest news in the city of Danville. I would like to know why Danville seems to make such a big deal over little things like this, while ignoring the BIG problems like all the drugs, robberies, breaking and enterings, assaults, etc. that happen in Danville EVERYDAY! It’s like the old ostrich with his head stuck in the sand… maybe if I ignore it, it will go away. In my opinion, the reason they don’t want to tell you about the real problems is that they know their jobs would be gone in a heartbeat if the public knew how bad things really are in the city. By only telling you about these little things that don’t really matter in the big picture, they think that you will forget about the things that have plagued Danville for years and feel safe in your homes. Well let me tell you people, there are a lot worse things going on in Danville if you don’t know it, and it’s only going to get worse if that old ostrich refuses to take his head out of the sand.
As for me, I have the same opinion as Ted Nugent, animals do have rights. They have the right to salt, pepper, and garlic on my dinner table. I guess I should be in federal prison right now for all the rodents I have killed in my lifetime…
Okay, Rockit, just for you…I take back Shania Twain.
Let’s make it—TAMMY WYNETTE.
FootballFan and the boys get together at his trailer in the woods. Just after they jack up their Chevelle on cinderblocks so they can change the oil (which they never complete and leave it there for months)—they go around and kick cats and opossums and drink malt liquor and strum their banjos and talk about how hot TAMMY WYNETTE used to be and who really runs the Tightsqueeze fire department. That’s just how they do things in HIS department.
Good nuff?
damn!!!!!!
there have been so many responses to this article one would think that possum had been on his way to the new homeless shelter!
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