BLUE EARTH COUNTY, Minn. — Charges have been filed against a southern Minnesota postal worker who allegedly sent threatening messages fatally shot a family dog in March.
The 42-year-old Mankato man faces one felony count of intentional discharge of a firearm, one misdemeanor count of cruelty to an animal and four misdemeanor counts of intimidation.
The complaint states that on March 30, shortly before 6:30 p.m., a woman called 911 to report that someone had shot her dog. The dog, named Lily, was shot while sunbathing on the second-floor patio of a Mankato home.
About seven minutes later, another person called 911 and reported hearing gunshots from the driveway of a home belonging to the postal worker.
According to the complaint, the dog’s owner had called 911 two weeks earlier to report that they had found a handwritten note that read: “If your dogs bark 1 more time they’re DEAD! You disrespectful ignorant A***** *!”
That same day, two other people living nearby said they found a note outside their home that read: “Loose dogs/barking dogs are illegal. Shut up.” Two days later, they reported their car was locked, the complaint said.
During the investigation, officials learned of two other threatening notes, one of which was written years ago, documents say.
The postman admitted to writing the threatening notes, but denied shooting the dog. A search warrant Numerous firearms-related items were found in his home, and he also revealed that he had a history of complaints to his employer, the United States Postal Service, about him leaving written messages at homes with dogs on his route.
A co-worker also spoke to investigators and said the postal worker had said he wanted to shoot his neighbor’s dogs because they were barking, according to the complaint.
WCCO personnel
