Over half a million people have signed a petition asking for criminal charges against two young men who allegedly assaulted a wounded deer, reportedly stepping on it and ripping its antlers out.
ABC News reported, “A video that circulated on the internet — allegedly showing two people kicking the deer in its face, stepping on it and ripping its antlers out in Pennsylvania — prompted the petition. The video has since been removed from Facebook but images appear to show the attack.”
The Daily Mail added, “Footage had showed (sic) two males tormenting the wounded animal in a wooded area of Pennsylvania. It showed them beating the injured deer to death then picking off one of its antlers before skinning the animal. In the graphic footage, two boys kick the wounded deer repeatedly and laugh. They then, once it has taken its last breath, tear off one of its antlers.”
On Sunday, the Pennsylvania Game Commission stated on Facebook, “The Pennsylvania Game Commission is aware of a video purporting to show individuals assaulting an injured deer. The conduct portrayed in the video is reprehensible and potentially a violation of the law.”
The petition stated:
Recently two monsters from Brookville Pennsylvania, reportedly from Brookville, PA high school, were in the woods with ill intent and wounded or found a wounded deer. They committed sickening acts of violence and tortured this helpless deer. The two of them took a video of the actions and are seen laughing while restricting the animal, crushing the animals face, repeatedly kicking and stomping the animal’s face as the animal is desperately and helplessly seen trying to evade.
Charges need to be pressed! Posting in case the original post gets deleted. CHARGES NEED to be FILED WITH MAXIMUM SENTENCING. Especially with the new bills put into effect from the president making these acts federal offenses.
The petition linked to a New York Times story about President Trump signing a Federal Animal Cruelty Bill Into Law. The Times wrote:
In a rare display of political unity, President Trump on Monday signed a bipartisan bill that, for the first time, makes acts of animal cruelty a federal crime punishable with fines and up to seven years in prison. The bill, called the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act, was introduced in the House this year by two Florida lawmakers — Representative Vern Buchanan, a Republican, and Representative Ted Deutch, a Democrat.
The bill states:
It shall be unlawful for any person to purposely engage in animal crushing in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly create an animal crush video, if the person intends or has reason to know that the animal crush video will be distributed in, or using a means or facility of, interstate or foreign commerce; or the animal crush video is distributed in, or using a means or facility of, interstate or foreign commerce. It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly sell, market, advertise, exchange, or distribute an animal crush video in, or using a means or facility of, interstate or foreign commerce.