By Shannon McFarlin WENK/WTPR News Director
Paris, Tenn.—In separate incidents, the Metro Crime Unit charged a Paris man with being a felon in possession of a vicious dog and have issued a warrant for a Henry man on the same charge. Both incidents followed separate attacks by pit bulls owned by the men, according to the Henry County Sheriff’s Office.
According to Captain Adam Jenkins, the Metro Crime Unit and the sheriff’s office seized several vicious dogs involved in the two dog attacks in the past several days.
Assisted by the Paris Police and Puryear Police, a search warrant was conducted at 4000 Hwy. 79S at the home of James Harper and Beverly Buie. During the search, marijuana and drug paraphernalia was found as were three pit bull mix dogs that had been involved in an attack on a neighbor’s dog earlier. According to Jenkins, the neighbor’s dog suffered serious injuries and later died.
Harper was charged with being a felon in possession of a vicious dog and of possession of drug paraphernalia.
In the other incident, two pit bill mix dogs were seized from Donnie Hutcherson Jr. According to Jenkins, the dogs had bit a man on Railroad Ave. in Henry and the Metro Crime Unit had obtained a search warrant.
Hutcherson is still at large and being sought by the sheriff’s office.
Jenkins said under Tennessee law, any person convicted of a violent felony cannot own a vicious dog.
Photo: James Harper