A man in Tennessee came home to a heartbreaking scene, discovering that seven of his dogs had died, with one surviving only by hiding from the alleged shooter, who is said to be a police deputy.
Conner Brackin, a 24-year-old deputy with the McNairy County Sheriff’s Office, was taken into custody and faces charges of aggravated animal cruelty on Tuesday after an inquiry conducted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. On November 4, Brackin addressed an issue related to animal welfare in Bethel Springs, a city situated approximately 100 miles east of Memphis.
The affidavit reveals that Brackin had a conversation with the individual who lodged the complaint regarding several dogs on the adjacent property, with some housed in pens and others in two separate trailers. Brackin let one of the dogs out of its pen, then armed himself with his service rifle and pistol, proceeding to fire at the campers in the vicinity of the dogs.
It is reported that he fired eight shots, resulting in the deaths of seven dogs.
At the time of the shooting, the dogs’ owner, Kevin Dismuke, was not present at the residence. Upon returning home, he found the lifeless body of one of his dogs positioned by the front door. Upon entering his residence, Dismuke was met with an unsettling silence from his other dogs, only to discover them lifeless one after another.
“I found our old dog Gator laying between the beds,” he told Memphis CBS affiliate WREG. “I ain’t heard Jasmine. I ain’t heard Max. So, I stepped back inside the trailer and I found Jasmine laying back there by the bathroom door. They’re all dead — all but Max. He’d hid under the bed.”
The McNairy County Sheriff’s Office reported that Brackin found two dogs in “extremely poor health,” with one already being “deceased.” Following the search for the dogs’ owner, Brackin allowed a neighbor to take one of the dogs and stated that he had received clearance from his supervisor to safely euthanize the remaining animals.
Dismuke challenged the assertion during his conversation with WREG, stating, “They were informed that the property was abandoned and the dogs were malnourished.” I have the veterinary paperwork from three weeks ago in my truck. All of them received a clean bill of health.
A heartbroken Dismuke expressed, “I don’t care what you do.” I’m indifferent whether it’s $10 or $10 million. My dogs are irreplaceable.
An investigation by the TBI into Brackin began on November 7. After the investigation concluded, Brackin faced termination from their position and was taken into custody on serious felony charges, including seven counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and eight counts of reckless endangerment.
Brackin has been dismissed from the McNairy County Sheriff’s office and has voluntarily surrendered himself. He was subsequently taken into custody and processed at the McNairy County Jail.