Police accused of beating porcupines to death with batons [Updated]

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Last edited Sat Oct 10, 2020, 06:43 AM - Edit history (1)

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/police-accused-beating-porcupines-death-batons-73461823

Police accused of beating porcupines to death with batons

Official say two Maine police officers accused of beating porcupines to death are facing animal cruelty charges and have been fired

By The Associated Press
October 6, 2020, 7:56 PM
• 2 min read

ROCKLAND, Maine -- Two police officers in Maine were fired and are facing animal cruelty charges after using their batons to beat porcupines to death, authorities said.

Former Rockland Officers Addison Cox, 27, of Warren, and Michael Rolerson, 30, of Searsmont, also face charges of hunting at night, according to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Rockland Police Chief Chris Young confirmed the firing of two officers but declined to divulge details, asking members of the community to trust that he handled the situation appropriately.

[...]

Police say the animal cruelty charges stem from the officers using retractable batons to kill porcupines while on duty, The Courier-Gazette newspaper reported. A third officer videotaped the killings and shared them to Snapchat groups, the newspaper reported.

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Update:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/09/us/police-porcupines-trnd/index.html

Two Maine police officers who allegedly beat porcupines to death while on duty have been fired