Charges dropped against military veteran who smashed car window to rescue dog
Being left in a hot car can be lethal for a child or a pet, so when Desert Storm veteran Michael Hammons spotted a Yorkshire terrier in a vehicle in a Georgia parking lot earlier this month, he didn’t hesitate.
Using a metal piece from his wife’s wheelchair, the 46-year-old smashed a window of the Mustang and saved the dog. according to the Athens Banner-Herald and WSB.
The pet’s owner, Elantra Cunningham, 22, was cited by animal control for leaving the Yorkie in the car, the Oconee County sheriff’s office said. But Hammons went to jail after Cunningham insisted that he be charged with criminal trespass concerning the damage to her car.
Members of the public set up a GoFundMe account to help cover his legal bills and a lawyer in Cumming offered to represent Hammons on a pro bono basis. A local Ford dealer offered to fix the window at no charge.
However, the criminal case has now been dropped, with the agreement of Cunningham, said Ken Mauldin. He serves as district attorney for the Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties, according to New York Daily News and WXIA.
As of July, an amendment to Georgia law will protect those who rescue children and the elderly from hot cars from being criminally charged. However, the exemption won’t apply to those who do so to save animals.
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “Citing Good Samaritan law, police don’t charge woman who broke into hot car to save baby”
