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Bismarck man may be charged in connection to squirrel's death
JACK DURA Bismarck Tribune
Police in Bismarck responded around 2:30 p.m. Sunday to a call about a squirrel struck by a dart on the 1300 block of North 20th Street.
Bismarck Police Sgt. Tim Sass said officers responded after the caller described the squirrel "acting weird" when it was running along a fence and then fell to the ground. The caller told police the squirrel had been struck by a large dart. The squirrel died as a result.
Officers spoke with a male neighbor who police said admitted to hitting the squirrel with the dart. The case was referred for review to the city attorney's office for "throwing missiles," according to Sass.
Bismarck's "throwing of missiles" statute reads as follows: "It is unlawful for any person to throw or discharge any stone, snowball or any similar object or other missile, including fireworks, upon, in or at any vehicle, building or upon or at any person."
Sass likened "throwing of missiles" to throwing a snowball that causes property damage.
"It's unlawful to throw rocks or shoes or cinder blocks at other people's stuff," Bismarck assistant city attorney Jason Hammes said. "The point behind (the law) is to keep people from throwing stuff at other people's stuff."
Hammes, who said he hasn't yet seen a report from Sunday's incident, added that animal cruelty charges, if applicable, would go through the Burleigh County State's Attorney's Office.
Sass said the case is under investigation.
Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com.
Bismarck man may be charged in connection to squirrel's death
JACK DURA Bismarck Tribune
Police in Bismarck responded around 2:30 p.m. Sunday to a call about a squirrel struck by a dart on the 1300 block of North 20th Street.
Bismarck Police Sgt. Tim Sass said officers responded after the caller described the squirrel "acting weird" when it was running along a fence and then fell to the ground. The caller told police the squirrel had been struck by a large dart. The squirrel died as a result.
Officers spoke with a male neighbor who police said admitted to hitting the squirrel with the dart. The case was referred for review to the city attorney's office for "throwing missiles," according to Sass.
Bismarck's "throwing of missiles" statute reads as follows: "It is unlawful for any person to throw or discharge any stone, snowball or any similar object or other missile, including fireworks, upon, in or at any vehicle, building or upon or at any person."
Sass likened "throwing of missiles" to throwing a snowball that causes property damage.
"It's unlawful to throw rocks or shoes or cinder blocks at other people's stuff," Bismarck assistant city attorney Jason Hammes said. "The point behind (the law) is to keep people from throwing stuff at other people's stuff."
Hammes, who said he hasn't yet seen a report from Sunday's incident, added that animal cruelty charges, if applicable, would go through the Burleigh County State's Attorney's Office.
Sass said the case is under investigation.
Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com.