Judge Acquits Father, Blames Animal Control in Death of Zachary King Jr.
Animal Control on the Hot SeatMinneapolis, MN - Zachary King Senior was
recently acquitted for the fatal mauling of his son. Hennepin County District Court Judge Kevin Burke issued the verdict and lashed out at Minneapolis Animal Control Officers who, he said, did not do enough to warn the family of the dog's danger.
On August 16, 2007, Zachary King Junior was fatally attacked by a pit bull the father had chained in the family's basement. Authorities charged the father with second-degree manslaughter. The dog had bitten before and prosecution felt the father should be held criminally liable.
Judge Burke's lashing stuck Minneapolis Animal Control agency between a rock and a hard place. Animal control claims they only had two contacts with the pit bull before the fatal attack. In both cases, the attacks were deemed too minor to destroy the dog or deem it dangerous. Yet one of the cases (or yet a third) involved a construction worker who received 22 thousand dollars in compensation after being bit by the dog.
Another fine example of outdated dog laws -- one can't point the blame at the dog owner after multiple infractions or to the animal control agency that issued them. The finger is consistently pointed by each group to another party. Meanwhile, victims die. Judge Burke is right that this tragedy could have been prevented. It's up to public policy makers to make this a reality.Related articles:03/20/08:
Father Tried for Manslaughter After Pit Bull Kills Son
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