BROOKVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A western Pennsylvania man accused along with a youth of repeatedly kicking a wounded deer in the head and pulling off its antler has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor cruelty to animals and four summary offenses, authorities said.
WJAC-TV reported that 18-year-old Alexander Smith was sentenced last week to two years of probation and 200 hours of community service, according to the Jefferson County prothonotary’s office. His hunting license was also revoked for 15 years.
The Brookville resident was originally facing multiple felonies related to aggravated cruelty to animals, but court documents indicate that those charges were withdrawn. There was no word on the status of the juvenile court case against a 17-year-old who was also charged.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission in January filed charges in what was described in an arrest warrant as the torture of the buck that the 17-year-old had shot and wounded in November. Video of the November attack circulated quickly on social media and generated outrage, along with pressure on investigators to solve the case.