A Pennsylvania state trooper, Cpl. Michael Perillo, had felony animal cruelty charges dismissed after hitting a loose horse multiple times with a patrol vehicle and pinning it to the pavement, where it was euthanized. The district attorney notified the judge that Perillo’s attorney intended to argue at trial that hitting the horse was necessary to prevent a serious accident, and that the law requires valuing human lives over animals. Perillo, who was suspended without pay after the charges were filed, had been facing two felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty and one count of animal cruelty stemming from the December 2021 incident in Chester County.
The incident occurred in Lower Oxford Township, where the horse was on the road’s shoulder and had already been struck by a motorist before troopers were sent to the scene. Perillo drove a vehicle into the horse multiple times, causing it to fall, and then pinned it to the road before another trooper euthanized it. Despite the charges being dismissed, Perillo had been on bail awaiting trial and had been assigned to Troop J in Avondale since enlisting in the state police in 2006. His attorney, Williams Davis, expressed gratitude to the district attorney for seeking the dismissal and stated that they had always felt the prosecution was unfair, believing that Perillo was trying to protect other motorists by taking action.
The defense argued that Perillo’s actions were necessary to prevent a potentially serious accident, and that the law required valuing human lives over animals. The district attorney had noted that he believed the necessity defense would be successful at trial. Perillo’s suspension without pay after the charges were filed in July 2022 was lifted after the charges were dismissed. The incident had sparked controversy and raised questions about the boundaries of animal cruelty laws and the responsibilities of law enforcement officers in dealing with loose animals in public spaces.
Perillo’s attorney stated that seeking the dismissal of charges was the correct choice and reiterated their belief that the prosecution was unfair. They thanked the district attorney for making the decision and reiterated that Perillo had been trying to protect other motorists by taking action. The dismissal of the charges brought against Perillo marked the end of a legal battle that had lasted for several months, during which the trooper had been awaiting trial while suspended from his duties. The incident highlighted the complex and often controversial issues surrounding animal cruelty laws and the actions of law enforcement officers in such situations.
