BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Monitor Editor
STARKE— A Starke man was sentenced to 13 months in prison for starting a fight with a deputy that caused the death of his own dog.
Robert Pittman Jr., 52, pleaded no contest to the Aug. 12, 2021, offenses of resisting arrest with violence, battery on a law enforcement officer and depriving an officer of a means of communication.
According to an arrest report, a Bradford deputy was dispatched to the Lincoln City area, responding to a report of Pittman losing his teeth and being followed by two females.
When he found the defendant, the man was being followed by two female dogs. Pittman first said he did lose his teeth, then said he had his teeth but lost his keys, before pulling his keys out of his pocket.
“It was apparent he was under the influence of an unknown narcotic substance the lawman wrote in the report. “I asked Robert where he was staying and he pointed to a brick residence across the road, stating he was staying with his aunt.”
The deputy knocked on the home’s door, but no one answered. The defendant then started yelling, “I have no cash and no drugs,” and ran away.
“I instructed Robert to stop at which time he continued to flee on foot to an unknown residence, banging and trying to open the door,” the deputy wrote.
The defendant then fled to another residence, where the lawman pinned him against a door.
“At this time Robert swung, striking me in the right side of my face, at which time we both went to the ground,” the deputy wrote.
During the struggle, one of the defendant’s dogs bit the deputy’s left calf, while Pittman grabbed the lawman’s radio mic cord, preventing the deputy from requesting help.
“I was able to break the dog loose from my leg,” he wrote, “as the dog tried to reengage, I discharged my department-issued firearm one time striking the dog in the right side, fatally wounding it,”
Pittman then dropped the radio and ran to another residence across the street, where the deputy gained control of the defendant as two additional officers arrived.
Photo: Pittman
