ZACHARY MILLER PLEADS GUILTY TO
ANIMAL CRUELTY
A Mills police officer faces an
animal cruelty charge following the death of a police dog that he allegedly
left in a hot patrol car for sever… Read more
A Mills police officer received
six months' probation after pleading guilty to animal cruelty in connection
with the July death of a police dog.
Zachary Miller admitted last
Thursday to leaving K-9 Nyx in a hot patrol car for several hours, resulting in
the animal's death, according to documents filed Monday in Natrona County
Circuit Court.
A judge sentenced Miller to six
months in jail but suspended the time behind bars in favor of six months of
unsupervised probation.
Miller was ordered to pay
$3,000 in restitution to the town of Mills during his time on probation. He was
also required to complete 100 hours of community service at Metro Animal
Control.
The officer’s restitution will
be reduced to $2,200 if he completes the volunteer time.
Miller had pleaded not guilty
to misdemeanor animal cruelty. His case was set for trial Thursday.
The officer left the dog in his
patrol car for more than six hours on July 9 while the vehicle was parked
outside the police department, according to an investigator's affidavit. The
car was running, but the air conditioning was turned off and the windows were
up.
Miller was suspended with pay
for a week starting the day of Nyx’s death, Mills police chief Bryon Preciado
said. Miller returned to work following an internal department investigation.
The results of the
investigation are not being released by the police department.
The officer is back on active
duty and will remain with the department, Preciado said Wednesday.
The affidavit states that
Miller arrived at the police department at 5:30 a.m. He left shortly after to
respond to a call with the other officer working that day, Jake Bigelow. The
two returned to the police department with Nyx in the vehicle about 6 a.m.
The officers went inside the
department, leaving the dog in the car, and did not return until about 12:20
p.m. The outside temperature had risen from 53 to 86 degrees, according to the
affidavit.
Police dogs are allowed inside
the station, Preciado said.
Nyx was a 10-year-old black Lab
who had been with the department since 2006. Miller had been her handler for
the past two years, during which Nyx lived with his family and went on family
vacations.
The department’s K-9 program is
being suspended while policies are reviewed, Preciado said.
Local residents protested at
the Mills Police Department on Aug. 23, claiming that Natrona County
prosecutors should have charged Miller with a felony.
District Attorney Mike Blonigen
said in August that prosecutors could not bring more serious charges against
the officer because Miller showed no intent to kill the dog.
The Mills Police Department is
paying Jensen Art Studio to construct a bronze statue of Nyx, which will be
placed in front of the station.
The statue will be unveiled
during a public memorial service. Preciado said that service has not yet been
scheduled.
Miller was represented by
Casper defense attorney Craig Silva. Natrona County Assistant District Attorney
Trevor Schenk prosecuted the case.
