Posted on 02/09/2006 6:34:49 AM PST by freepatriot32
SOUTH BEND -- A former St. Joseph County police officer indicted on a charge of cruelty to an animal is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 23.
A St. Joseph County grand jury Tuesday indicted Curt Seufert, 32, of South Bend, in connection with the Nov. 26 death of his girlfriend's dog.
The case has attracted attention from animals rights activists across the country, including comedian Richard Pryor, who died in December.
The indictment was sealed until late Wednesday afternoon when a summons was issued for Seufert to appear in court in two weeks.
The grand jury did not return an indictment in another case it reviewed.
Seufert is accused of beating an Akita owned by South Bend police officer Jennifer Radican the night of Nov. 25-26.
Unofficial reports indicated the dog suffered a broken leg and back. Radican found the dog dead in her basement when she arrived home from a part-time job. Her other dog, a Siberian husky, was cowering upstairs, she told police. Both dogs were muzzled.
The couple had a verbal dispute before Radican had left for her part-time job, according to a police report.
Seufert was placed on leave after the incident. He later resigned as a road patrol officer after Sheriff Frank Canarecci recommended to the county police Merit Board that he be discharged. Seufert was on the department three years.
Radican went to court to obtain a protective order against Seufert, who was prohibited from having a gun.
At a Dec. 15 hearing, she described an escalating pattern of behavior by Seufert when he became angry. She told the judge she was afraid she could be the next one hurt.
Radican said Seufert at first threw inanimate objects when he was angry. He progressed to where he kicked her dogs and had choked a dog, Radican said in court.
If convicted of the misdemeanor cruelty charge, Seufert could face up to a year in jail and a fine up to $5,000.
Seufert's attorney, Michael Tuszynski, did not return a call Wednesday from The Tribune.
Prosecutor Michael Dvorak had no comment Wednesday about the case.
The matter in which the grand jury returned no charges was the Jan. 3 death of Michael Kovacevich, 47, of South Bend.
The death was ruled a homicide by the county coroner.
The autopsy showed Kovacevich died of blunt force trauma to the left side of his head and neck, not the right side where he hit his head in a fall in the shower, records indicate.
Kovacevich reported to police Dec. 24, he was punched several times by a Michigan City man who was upset with Kovacevich for talking to the man's ex-girlfriend.
I was a bit confused myself - is something missing?
IB4TZ?
"Troll."
And a strange one at that. He's gonna be waiting for his wish a long time.
No. For some reason it was written to cover two different matters. Sort of strange.
The grand jury did not return an indictment in another case it reviewed.
And yes...a real whack job!
And she still stayed with him why?
ANYONE touches my dog is long gone
So you think that a year in jail is "pretty stiff" in this case. Wouldn't you want such a violent person off the streets before he takes his anger out on others, which the article suggests he already has, to wit, that 47-year-old man?
Heck, his behavior means to me that he ought to be committed to some asylum and not released until the doctors feel that he is not a danger to society...even if that means he never gets out.
It still doesn't change my mind about the absolute nuttiness of this guy. He sounds dangerous to the nth degree and ought to be removed from society. People who abuse animals often go on to bigger things, like us!
Ladies, any thoughts on that? I suspect that some of you have known friends in similar situations, though perhaps without the violent component.
Couldn't tell ya for sure, though I reckon it's after a long, downward spiral during which he first tears down her confidence with insults and gets her to distance herself from the support system of friends and family. Sad thing is, those women often still love the brutes.
I had a friend whom I believe will eventually become this way, if she hasn't already. Accordingly, she's withdrawn from those of us her friends who can't deal with the lack of respect for her and for him. I've never been less than polite in his presence, nor put him down to her, but there's no doubt *I* am more man than *he* is. Friggin liberal puke. I'm here if ever she calls, but I won't serve witness to her purposely throwing away every piece of herself until she's a soulless shell.
I made a point of telling my BF that if ever he lays a harsh hand on me, he'd best not close his eyes in sleep for the rest of his life. Not that he would, but I think it best to set boundaries from the very beginning and guard against giving up little pieces of onesself, the sacrifice of which does nothing to add positives to the relationship.
Thanks for your insights on the abusive BF's out there. I'm a man but if I were a woman I'd take your tack and let the guy know, as you did, that "I know where you sleep."
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