TUESDAY UPDATE: At 10:52 a.m. Tuesday, the reckless conduct charge against Jonathan Chambers was DROPPED. The decision was made by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office in consultation with the District Attorney’s Office. Officials said there was probable cause for the issuance of the warrant, but a review showed there was not sufficient evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Original Story:
An Evans man who fatally shot a 9-year-old girl’s pit bull while trying to stop its attack on a smaller animal was arrested on Sunday for reckless conduct, authorities said.
Jonathan Michael Chambers, 39, of Evans, told authorities he was trying to help Sunday afternoon after his wife and stepdaughter told him a dog was attacking another dog at The Belmont apartment complex on Thoroughbred Lane. So he grabbed his 9mm gun, came outside and fired a warning shot in the air. When that didn’t work, he fired at the pit bull, which killed the pet, a sheriff’s report says.
Witnesses outlined how the dog attack started. Caiden Tichenor, 22, told officers that he was walking his small golden retriever mix, Toby, around the apartment complex around 4 p.m. Sunday when he saw the girl and her larger dog coming toward them.
“Mr. Tichenor stated he picked Toby up and attempted to leave; however, the other dog broke out of its harness and began snapping at Toby,” the report says. “Mr. Tichenor stated the dog got ahold of Toby by what he believed at the time was his neck and pulled him from his arms.”
Tichenor told officers he tried prying the larger dog off Toby before his neighbor fired a shot in the air. The larger dog did not let go, and the suspect fired a second shot into the dog.
“The dog let Toby go and stumbled into the grass, collapsing,” the report says.
The father of the 9-year-old girl, Jonathan Navedo, arrived after the shooting when his wife told him their pit bull Simba had been shot. He said their daughter was just walking the dog but it got out of the leash.
The girl was “unable to regain control of Simba during the incident and went to surrounding adults for help,” the report says.
An Animal Control official was called, but the representative told officers that their office would not be responding on Sunday and the owners of the deceased dog would have to hold onto the animal until the next day.
Chambers, who is listed as a tax assessor with Columbia County, was arrested at the scene and charged with reckless conduct.
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