Rochester man appears in court, charged with stabbing dog
Keshawn Howell Jr. / Olmsted County Adult Detention Center
(ABC 6 News) – A Rochester man was charged with gross misdemeanor mistreatment/torture of an animal in Olmsted County Court after allegedly stabbing a dog in early March.
According to court documents, Keshawn Judaryll Howell Jr., 23, and a woman were arguing on the morning of March 8, when the incident occurred.
Rochester police claim they responded to a NW resident and saw a woman screaming and crying, and a dog covered in blood with a stab wound to its head.
According to court documents, the woman told police Howell Jr. stabbed the dog, which was taken to an emergency veterinarian.
Howell told police the dog tried to bite him, while the woman told police the dog had been jumping up and down while the two argued.
According to court documents, the woman claimed Howell Jr. put a door between himself and the dog before stabbing it through a window opening, while Howell Jr. said he was outside the residence.
Howell Jr.’s initial appearance in Olmsted County Court is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, March 23.