Pittsburgh, PA – A man whose fatal stabbing of a K-9 prompted Pennsylvania lawmakers to stiffen the penalty for harming police animals has been sentenced to up to 44 years in prison.
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A judge on Tuesday decided John Lewis Rush should serve a minimum of 17 years, nine months in prison and said he must also serve eight years of probation after being released.
The 22-year-old Stowe Township resident was convicted in December of torturing a police animal, aggravated assault on the dog’s handler and three other officers, and other offenses.
Police say Rush stabbed the dog and wounded two officers trying to arrest him in January 2014 on warrants for violating probation and failing to register as a sex offender.
Rush says he stabbed the dog in self-defense.
This judge is not only insane, he has just comitted the most cruel act in the history of human-animal relations. This sentence ushers in a new era where it is becoming increasingly more difficult to discern the difference between human and animal. The judge obviously sees the animal on equal or semi-equal footing as the human. This sentence is on par with murder. Millions of animals that have not attacked anyone are slaughtered without penalty. Defending oneself against a police attack dog now entails a good chunk of life in prison. Dogs have not risen up that much in society. Obviously humans have sunk down then to the animal level. At least this judge feels that way.
Sorry, I know this guy is a disgusting creep, but 44 years for killing a dog? People get less for killing humans. This world is insane.
Lemrick Nelson is lucky…. he “only” stabbed Yankel Rosenbaum HYD to death & didn’t start up with a Police dog…
Oh what a sick sick society we live in !!
These liberal judges with their own agenda are very dangerous.
I hope that this excessive sentence is overturned on appeal. If this criminal had killed a dog belonging to a civilian, he would have received a fraction of the sentence, which he was handed; five to ten years, would have been more than enough for that miscreant. Secondly, owners of dogs, which kill human beings are rarely, if ever, sent to prison. The judge has his priorities wrong, whereby he equated the killing of a dog, with the killing of a human being.
While I agree that the sentence is excessive, you may not be aware that police dogs are considered police officers in many jurisdictions. The judge probably took that into consideration.
Doggonit !
It’s a doggy dog world…
Guess he’s going to the dog house…
The dog is considered part of the police force. The sentence seems right. Its like he attacked a police officer.
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