LA assistant fire chief found guilty of animal cuelty

Johnson and his murder victim, 6 months old Karley

On December 19th of last year, Los Angeles Assistant Fire Chief Glynn Johnson brutally beat a 6-month old puppy named Karley.

At the time, Officer Johnson was taking Karley back to its family, the Tooles, when neighbors saw him punch the dog repeatedly, rip his jaw open, and take a large 10-12-pound rock to beat the dog over the head. Karley managed to crawl to a ravine where his family found him and took him to a hospital. Karley was diagnosed with a broken jaw, three skull fractures, collapsed ear canal, and one of his eye had popped out of its orbit. Due to the severity of Karley's injuries, he was euthanized.

In his defense, Officer Johnson alleged that Karley had bitten down on his thumb and would not let go. It should be noted that, according to neighbors, Officer Johnson beat Karley with the rock after breaking his jaw and, logically, releasing Johnson's thumb. It should also be noted that neighbors attempted to stop Johnson's attack, but he just pushed them away. Apparently, he was strong enough to fight off other adults without the use of his thumb. Johnson was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation (see, www.examiner.com/examiner/x-9726-Seattle-Pet-Laws-Examiner~y2009m12d19-LA-Assistant-Fire-Chief-beats-6month-old-puppy-to-death). Johnson was subsequently arrested and charged with two felony counts.

Today, Officer Johnson was found guilty of felony animal cruelty with special circumstances, a verdict which carries a maximum penalty of up to 3 years. Officer Johnson was also found guilty of using a deadly weapon (i.e., the rock) to commit a felonym (i.e., animal cruelty), a verdict which carries a maximum penalty of up to 1 year.

District Attorney Will Robinson's opening statement was made in front of bloody photos of Karley. Attorney Robinson then proceed to tell the judge and jury that Officer Johnson had, for years, fought with Karley's family, the Tooles, engaging in shouting matches while using a bullhorn, and had even placed dog excrement in the Toole's mailbox. Attorney Robinson argued that Officer Johnson's attack on Karley was an act of revenge against the Toole family. As Attorney Robinson put it: "This was not an isolated event. There was a long history of anger and frustration beyond the typical neighbor dispute."

Johnson was questioned about his violent past, including an incident, documented  in police reports, in which Officer Johnson attacked his 14-year old daughter, pushing her to the ground, and hitting her with the buckle end of his belt several times. He then dragged his daughter back into the house where he proceeded to beat her again, shouting "I wish you were dead."

Fellow firefighters showed up at Johnson's trial with the slogan "Firefighters against Animal Abuse" on their t-shirts. Johnson's sentencing has been scheduled for March 8th and fe faces up to four years in prison.

As a result of this incident, the Tooles have begun a campaign to enact "Karley's law." Shelley Toole said she was shocked to discover that the law considers animals to be property. “Animals are not chairs or tables. They are living, breathing beings with feelings, and they are part of a family. Sadly, there is no civil law for the victims of animal cruelty in California.” She and her family are dedicated to changing that, not only to honor Karley’s memory, but to aid future victims of abuse.The Animal Legal Defense Fund worked with the Tooles to draft “Karley’s Law,” a Civil Right of Action for Cruelty to an Animal. The law, if enacted, will give parties, whose animals are subjected to acts of cruelty, the opportunity to bring a civil action against the perpetrator for the full range of their loss. The law won’t change an animal’s legal status as property, but if a plaintiff prevails, it will give courts the authority to order a judgment for all actual and reasonable damages proved, such as the monetary value of the animal, veterinary expenses, emotional distress, loss of companionship, court costs and attorney’s fees. Karley’s Law will also provide punitive damages of at least $1,000 for every intentional act to which the animal was subjected, as well as give courts the authority to issue restraining orders and other injunctive relief as they deem warranted.

“As it stands now,” says ALDF's representative, “collecting an animal’s market value ? what it would cost to replace him or her — is generally all that’s available to plaintiffs in the state, so Karley’s Law would be a real step forward. It doesn’t guarantee any damages, but it will allow animal guardians their day in court to argue for the full extent of their loss.”