Sicko shoots a kitten with a crossbow

[Jaymes]

By JACOB H. FRIES
Published August 20, 2005



TARPON SPRINGS - A day after a stray kitten was found impaled with an arrow, detectives received a half-dozen tips Friday morning, all zeroing in on one man: Stephen H. Cockerill, 19, of Palm Harbor.

As a group of friends watched, police believe, Cockerill grabbed a crossbow from his truck and told them he was going to shoot a cat.

He fired once, skewering a 11/2-pound kitten through its midsection. The kitten ran away before the group could catch it.

Cockerill grabbed a second arrow, police said. He fired again at another stray cat, but missed.

"Knock it off!" one of the friends yelled, according to police.

At least two of the witnesses came forward Friday and gave detectives their account, said Tarpon Springs police Sgt. Jeff Young.


. . .


Powers found the kitty about 5:30 a.m. Thursday, shortly after arriving at her shop, Tropic Sign and Shirts on Wesley Avenue. She plans to adopt him once he recovers.

The 9-week-old kitten, since nicknamed Archer, continued to improve Friday. He went through surgery the day before to remove the arrow, which had fractured a rib, punctured a lung and sliced through the liver, said Rick Chaboudy, director of the Humane Society of Pinellas.

Archer already has made great progress and was walking around, purring and enjoying all the attention showered on him at Tampa Bay Veterinary Specialists in Largo, Chaboudy said.

"You wouldn't believe how much he is eating," Chaboudy said.


What is wrong with people?! :banghead3 There is no excuse for using another animal as target practice or shooting for sport. This is disgusting behavior.

 

[Mister Emu]

Good Lord, that is so wrong.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

With the five kittens in my yard, I was scared to open this thread. I'm very, very glad it's doing okay. (As Mister Emu said, though, that is *so* wrong.)

I wonder if the fellow will gain the empathy to figure out why what he did was so horrible.

 

[michel]

I honestly cannot even begin to imagine what people like that have to gain from their despicable and hateful acts.

 

[huajiro]

What is it with people and cats???!!!

I am so sick of people thinking they can do what they want with animals.

 

[Original Freak]

AS obviously wrong and disgusting as this is...

why would they name the cat archer? That'll bring back tramatic memories wouldn't it?

 

[robtex]

Jensa great thread!! Disgusting behavior that is culturally reinforced in the states might be a better way to phrase it. I think alot of that behavior is propogated by our "gi-joe gun culture".

I don't know who this kid was but I do know that there is a high degree of shootings with guns more than crossbows here than in other counteries of animals and of humans when compared to other nations. The difference I personally believe, is our indoctrination into a "war culture" early on with things like

1) presenting dying in battle as heoric
2) nra and others pushing gun ownership as american
3) guns and bows seen as an extension of masculinity (and also virility)


Coupled with man's (more than woman's) biological nature for a higher level of aggression and incidents like the one above may have a higher occurance rate than in a more pacifistic envirorment. I have learned a lot from Engyo and Master Vigil about being compassionate and nuturing while still being masculant and in a round about way from that have come to see philosophically that the ideas they both post on here when contrasted to much I see in the world when I turn off my computer are quite different in nature.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

why would they name the cat archer? That'll bring back tramatic memories wouldn't it?

I was wondering that same thing.

This thread made me remember that a few of my "hollier-than-thou" nieghbors threatened to shoot my dogs. One of them because they killed his dog, which yes they did, but there dog was on my property, and chows can be very territorial. Another because supposedly my dogs wounded thier dog and they had to take it to the vet and get it stitched up. Theres no possible way my dogs did that, because they was inside that morning. I do know if I find my dogs dead, some bad things will happen around this neighborhood. And since its out in the country, after 3 AM, there is no chance of getting caught. I already slashed someones tires because they tried to hit me while I was taking a walk one night. Even the countries are getting bad now.
That reminds me, Holloween is just around the corner. Superstitous a'holes go around killing black cats. This one, I am told as I was to yound to remember (thank god), was found dead with a machetee sticking out of it, with several stab wounds in it. My cat hates being in all day, but I would hate to have to find her murdered.