According to the criminal complaint, at approximately 7:16 p.m. on July 12, police were called to a home in the 13400 block of Alabama Avenue for a report of a man beating a dog with a sledgehammer. When officers arrived, they observed neighbors - including children - screaming, crying and pointing to Poppe's address.
The officers approached Poppe's house and saw a golden retriever lying near the threshold of the garage with a white plastic bag over its head. The dog's chest was still moving as it was trying to breathe. After observing blood on the dog and on Poppe's shirt, officers informed Poppe that he was under arrest.
Poppe allegedly resisted as officers tried to handcuff him and refused to follow their commands. Officers eventually took Poppe to the ground and were forced to use two sets of handcuffs as they could only get one set on at a time. Poppe allegedly continued resisting all the way to the squad car.
After removing the plastic bag from the dog's head, officers observed the gruesome injuries the dog had sustained. The dog was still alive, and animal control was called to transport the dog to an emergency veterinarian. The dog was eventually euthanized at 8:40 p.m.
This violence leaves the local community in shock. Honest, caring, hard-working citizens do not want men capable of such violence living among us. A minimum penalty will be unsatisfactory to the community at large - we demand justice for Millie the senior Golden Retriever, and the MAXIMUM PENALTY.
