CASUALLY CRUEL

Texas Firefighter Arrested for Disturbing Cat-and-Dog Poisoning Spree

The firefighter apparently did not get the memo that cats should be saved from trees, not killed.

Even city employees are not opposed to the most obscene crimes. An El Paso, Texas, firefighter was arrested for allegedly poisoning five cats and a dog in a local neighborhood, the El Paso Times reported Wednesday. Shawn Michael Hanke, 48, was charged with six counts of animal cruelty resulting in death after he allegedly left out poisoned cat food for the animals to eat in late May, causing suspicion among neighbors. An investigation by El Paso Police Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit led them to Hanke on Tuesday, who surrendered to officers. He was booked on a $15,000 bond, though it’s unclear if he paid it without facing jail. If convicted of the charges, all of which are third-degree felonies, he could face up to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.