A 19-year-old Sevierville man is facing two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals after deputies were given a recording of him abusing two dogs, according to a Sevier County Sheriff's Office incident report.
Jonathan Jones was arrested May 10 on the charges after police were called for a report of a man hitting a dog with a hammer and pointing a gun at his sister, according to the incident report.
The incident reports said deputies arrived and spoke to a woman who said her two dogs were fighting. Her brother, Jones, grabbed one of the dogs using a slip leash and held it in the air, choking it. The woman said Jones hit the dog in the face with a stick and shoved the stick down the dog's throat, according to the incident report.
The incident report said the woman told deputies Jones repeatedly hit her other dog daily with a hammer to discipline it and showed police video of her listening to Jones abusing one of the dogs in the past. According to the report, the woman said anytime she tried to intervene in the abuse, Jones would threaten to kill her and had pointed a gun at her.
Both dogs were removed from the home due to their injuries by Sevier County Animal Control, according to the report. Jones was taken to the Sevier County Jail. The report said his sister said that she didn't want to press charges against Jones for pointing a gun at her.
Sevierville man accused of beating dogs with hammer, stick
Deputies arrested Jonathan Jones for aggravated animal cruelty after they said he abused dogs in Sevierville.
The sister should not be allowed to have dogs since she will not protect them from her brother.
