Neighbor’s dog was eating his chickens — so he brought over an ax, Tenn. cops say

A Tennessee man has been charged with three counts of assault, according to court records, after police say he attacked his neighbor with an ax on Tuesday.

Witnesses in Garret Ankney’s Memphis neighborhood could tell he was perturbed when he started firing a gun outside his trailer on the north end of town, according to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by WKRN. He had been locked in a long-range argument with one of his neighbors for most of the day, the station reported.

The alleged feud between Ankney and his neighbor started with a more one-sided fight between that neighbor’s dog and Ankney’s chickens, according to the Tennessean. Ankney, 54, believed the dog had been killing and eating his chickens, and he was livid, the newspaper reported.

So Ankney picked up an ax and paid the neighbor a visit, according to WZTV.

As he swung the ax at his neighbor, witnesses told police the neighbor threw his arms over his head to protect his face, according to the affidavit, at which point his forearms took the brunt of the ax blade. Both his forearms were bleeding when police arrived, WZTV reported.

Two other neighbors helped police wrestle Ankney to the ground, The Tennessean reported. Authorities have not given an update on the victim’s injuries, but WZTV reported that he was taken to Venderbilt University Medical Center for treatment.

Ankey is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a felony, and two counts of simple assault, according to Davidson County Jail records. Combined bond for the three counts is listed at $6,000.

Court records from the same county indicate that Ankey has been convicted several times of driving without a license and driving while license revoked, as well as an assault conviction in 2000.

No word on how many of Ankney’s chickens, if any, survived the alleged dog attack.