By ITZEL LUNA Associated Press
Tyrese Gibson failed to turn himself in to police after an arrest warrant was issued because his four Cane Corso dogs mauled and killed a neighbor’s dog in Georgia in mid-September, police said Tuesday.
The warrant for cruelty to animals issued for the “Fast & Furious” actor is part of an “ongoing issue” following multiple calls about the dogs in the past few months, Fulton County Police Captain Nicole Dwyer said.
“Our priority is the safety of the community and when there’s so many incidents of dogs, especially large dogs like this, getting out and then killing an animal, you know, what’s next? A child?” Dwyer said. “Our main priority is safety and that’s why we want the dogs in custody.”
Gibson had received multiple warnings before the warrant was issued, and police had attempted to cite him before the attack, but the actor wasn’t at his Atlanta home. Dwyer said she spoke with Gibson’s lawyer last week and informed them the actor had to turn himself in by Friday.
Gibson’s attorney, Gabe Banks, wrote to in an email to The Associated Press the actor is “cooperating fully with authorities to address and resolve this matter responsibly.” Gibson wasn’t home when the incident took place, Banks wrote, and “immediately made the difficult decision to rehome his dogs to a safe and loving environment.”
Just after 10 p.m. on Sept. 18, a neighbor of Gibson’s, whose house is half a mile away, let their dog, a small spaniel, out to their yard and returned five minutes later to find the dog had been attacked. The dog was rushed to a veterinary hospital, but did not survive, Dwyer said.
The four dogs were then seen at the next-door house, where the owner called police, saying she was afraid to leave her house. Animal control officers responded and were able to keep the dogs back while the neighbor went to her vehicle.
Police issued a search warrant for Gibson’s property on Sept. 22, but the actor and the dogs were not at the residence.
Banks wrote that Gibson “extends his deepest condolences to the family who lost their beloved dog to this tragic incident.”
Gibson posted a video to Instagram that included various clips of his dogs early Monday. He didn’t speak in the video, but rather included audio from the podcast, “The Breakfast Club,” where hosts discussed the case.