Man Kills Puppy During Domestic Altercation

Thursday, March 26, 2009

A Summertown man was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly assaulted his wife during an extended altercation, and killed her pet Chihuahua.

Deputies with the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department received a call regarding the incident on Tuesday. They quickly made their way to the 385 Railroad Bed Pike home of Michael Ray Looker, 45. They report that both the front and rear doors were open, and that as they approached the door they could see a subject lying on a mattress in the living room covered by a blanket, with only his hair visible.

Deputies report they knocked loudly and made numerous attempts to rouse the subject. After a time they report that Looker awakened, that he appeared to be under the influence of an intoxicant, and that he smelled strongly of an alcoholic beverage.

Deputies spoke by telephone with Looker’s wife, age 39, who is disabled, indicating that she was, “crying and very upset.” The wife told deputies that she and Looker had become involved in an argument the previous night during which he assaulted her. She stated that Looker had slapped her several times, bent her hands backwards, and three times had obtained a knife from the kitchen making threats to “kill her, then himself so the kids would find them in the morning.” Looker then followed her into the bathroom where he kneed her in the mouth.

According to the wife’s statement, during the altercation Looker turned his rage upon her puppy, choking the small animal and punching it in the head repeatedly. She said that he finally threw the pup to the floor and kicked and stomped upon it until blood and feces came out and it was dead. At that point, she said Looker picked the pup up and tossed it into the kitchen trash can.

The wife told deputies that the argument had continued until around 1:30 a.m., with Looker demanding that she drive him to Memphis. She indicated that he got their two small children up and they left the residence. While en route to Memphis, she said Looker passed out and she returned to her home. She told deputies she and the children stayed there until the following day.

According to the wife, she did not report the incident during the night because she was in such great fear for the safety of herself and the children and she “knew that he would kill her.”

Deputies noted that there is a history of domestic violence in the home, and that caseworkers with the Department of Children’s Services were notified of the latest incident.

Looker denied that any such altercation had taken place, telling deputies that his larger dog had killed the puppy. He then allegedly asked deputies whether his wife had been the one who called for police assistance, stating, “I’ll take care of her when I get out.”

Looker was placed under arrest on charges of aggravated domestic assault and intentional killing of an animal. While he was being transported to the Lawrence County Jail deputies report that he began inquiring about smoking a cigarette before being placed into a cell. When they informed him he would not be allowed to do so they report he became extremely irate, attempting to spit upon the deputy through the partition, then kicking the plexiglass when it was subsequently closed.

Once they arrived at the jail, deputies report Looker was immediately placed into a 4x4 cell “due to his elevated level of aggression.” While the arresting deputy was completing paperwork, jailers informed him that Looker had been banging upon the door repeatedly and had urinated all over the hallway in front of the cell door.

At press time Looker remained incarcerated. He is slated to answer the charges against him through Lawrence County General Sessions Court on Monday, April 6, 2009.