- Alabama, USA -
Lowndes County Sheriff’s deputy 21-years-old MICHAEL JAY LEWIS (pictured below) has been fired after he was arrested in Autauga County.
LEWIS is accused of shooting into an occupied car with a woman holding a dog inside. The woman was not injured but the bullet struck the furbaby. Autauga County Sheriff Joe Sedinger said: “…The dog took the bullet meant for her. If the dog had not been there, she likely would have been seriously injured.”
The furbaby is now in critical condition at the VCA Carriage Hills Animal Hospital.
Montgomery Advertiser reports that at the time of the shooting, on the morning of Saturday, October 30, LEWIS was off duty but in uniform and was at a party off County Road 42 near the Chilton County line. Sheriff Sedinger said LEWIS went to the party driving an unmarked Lowndes sheriff's office vehicle.
Sheriff Sedinger also said: “Everybody knew everybody else at the party. There was an argument that got out of hand and Lewis fired into a vehicle…”
LEWIS was arrested following a DUI crash.
WSFA reports: “Alabama Law Enforcement Agency troopers say they responded to a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 65 at mile marker 186 at 7 a.m. Saturday. Troopers found the car, a 2012 Chevrolet Impala and Lewis at 8:30 a.m. near the 184 mile marker.”
Troopers took LEWIS into custody and was then booked into the Autauga County Jail for aggravated animal cruelty, driving under the influence, and attempted murder.
Lowndes County Sheriff Chris West said “As soon as I got off the phone with Sheriff Sedinger this morning, I went to my office and wrote a termination letter. I hand-delivered it to the young man at the Autauga jail.”
Sheriff Chris West said in a Facebook post: “Deputy Lewis thoroughly passed his background investigation and has been with us for three weeks. We were looking forward to a bright future with him, unfortunately that changed early this morning. The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office will not tolerate this type of conduct. It’s not what we tolerate from our citizens, and certainly not what we tolerate from our employees. We want to apologize to the victims of these crimes and the citizens of Autauga County.”
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Bless the Lowndes Sheriff Dept for quickly holding this sorry excuse of a human responsible for his monstrous potentially fatal despicable act of cruelty. Unfortunately there are so many of these human scum seeking positions of power! Prayers for the beautiful K9 who received the bullet intended for his parent. Please throw the book at this human garbage Michael Lewis!