Man arrested twice in three days in incidents involving his mule, Kentucky cops say
Two days after he was arrested on accusations he had harmed his mule and refusing to leave a bar, a Kentucky man tried avoiding a second arrest — as he rode the “malnourished” animal, police say.
The 39-year-old was unsuccessful, leading to his second cruelty to animal charge in a three-day span, according to the Murray Police Department. He also faces several other charges following the series of events that began Dec. 7.
Officers in Murray first came upon the man when they were dispatched to a bar for an “unwanted subject,” according to a citation. He rode his mule 15 miles to the bar and was observed drinking on the animal and whipping a bull whip at patrons, authorities said.
The man was found by officers “holding the lead to his mule” outside the bar, police said. Despite being unsteady on his feet and smelling like alcohol, he told officers he would ride his animal home.
Instead, police told the man he was not free to leave. He tried walking away but was detained.
A witness observed the man’s mule “sweating hard” and whipped “an unnecessary amount,” according to a citation. The mule was estimated to be 100 pounds malnourished, police said.
“(The witness) stated in all the years she has known (the man), she has witnessed poor treatment and abused looks of his horses,” police said. “(She) stated the more (he) becomes intoxicated, the worse his treatment of horses became.”
He was charged with second-degree disorderly conduct, alcohol intoxication in a public place, third-degree criminal trespassing, resisting arrest and second-degree cruelty to animals, according to a news release.
On Dec. 9, officers in Murray again came into contact with the mule owner. This time, officers were dispatched for a report he was “possibly intoxicated and riding a mule down the road,” according to court documents.
He tried to evade police while riding the mule, which was captured in a video shared on X, formerly Twitter. In the video, the 39-year-old is seen entering a construction zone while on the mule as multiple police officers chase him.
The man was taken into custody in a parking lot, the video shows.
He was charged with third-degree fleeing or evading police and second-degree cruelty to animals.
Murray is about a 120-mile drive northwest from Nashville, Tennessee.
This story was originally published December 11, 2024 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Man arrested twice in three days in incidents involving his mule, Kentucky cops say."