Police have arrested two men after they allowed a pit bull to attack and fight a caged raccoon. The arrest occurred after one of the men posted the video of the animal fight to Facebook.
Pinellas County, FLORIDA — According to investigators, on Friday February 19, 2016, both the Sheriff’s Office and the Clearwater Police Department received multiple complaints regarding a video which was posted to Facebook that contained graphic images of a pit bull attacking and fighting a caged raccoon. It was subsequently determined that the crime occurred in unincorporated Largo and detectives assigned to the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division began investigating the case.
Detectives identified the suspect who filmed and posted the video as 25-year-old Damien Ja-Bree Haynes. Through various investigative techniques, detectives located Haynes on the evening of Friday, February 19, 2015 at his home in Largo. During the interview, Haynes admitted to videotaping the incident sometime in March of 2015; and posting it to his Facebook page on February 16, 2016. Haynes was arrested for fighting/baiting animals, and was transported to the Pinellas County Jail without further incident.
The subsequent investigation led detectives to identify 64-year-old Leo Edward Perry as the suspect who had opened the cage and allowed the attack on the raccoon. During the afternoon hours of Saturday, February 20, 2016, detectives located Perry at his home at 13155 Pine Street in Largo, and confirmed this was the residence shown in the video. Perry was arrested for fighting/baiting animals. He was transported to the Pinellas County Jail without further incident. Perry admitted to the crime.
According to detectives, the investigation revealed that sometime in March of 2015 Haynes and other unidentified individuals were at Perry’s home in Largo. Deputies say that Haynes videotaped as Perry opened the cage holding the raccoon, and allowed and encouraged his pit bull to attack and fight the raccoon. Deputies say others in the video are heard provoking and encouraging the pit bull to attack the raccoon. Deputies say the animals fought each other in what became a gruesome and bloody struggle between the two animals. The video ended before the fate of the animals were known.
According to detectives, Pinellas County Animal Services assisted in the investigation and responded to Perry’s residence. Ten pit bulls were located at the residence. Deputies say Perry voluntarily turned them over to Animal Services.
The investigation continues.
