SYRACUSE, NEW YORK: A 31-year-old Syracuse man has been arrested for viciously stabbing a pit bull to death with a butcher's knife. Thomas Hemmingway was arrested on Monday, August 7, after the Animal Cruelty Division determined that he lied about stabbing the dog in self-defense.

The Syracuse Police Department noted that the incident took place on July 26 when they responded to the 900 block of South Geddes Street about an injured animal complaint. Upon their arrival, the officers found a black and white female pit bull suffering from a deep stab wound, as per NY Post.

Officers brought the dog to the back of their patrol vehicle and transferred it to the Veterinary Medical Center of CNY, where it succumbed to its injuries. While the dog was being rushed to the medical center, other police officers stayed at the scene to speak to witnesses and look for the dog's owner.

Who is Thomas Hemmingway?

While officers were investigating the scene, Hemmingway approached them to confess that he had stabbed the dog in self-defense after it bit him on his right leg. He lifted his trouser leg to show the cops where the dog allegedly "bit" him but there were no wounds.

Syracuse Police later handed over the case to the Animal Cruelty Division, which discovered through video evidence that Hemmingway was not attacked by the dog. In the footage, he was seen walking down a street toward a location where an unidentified male had the dog on a leash.

“Hemmingway had what appeared to be a large butcher knife in his right hand as he approached the dog. He attempted to grab the dog by the neck or collar when the dog reacted. Hemmingway then stabbed the dog once in the neck,” Syracuse Police said.

After the dog owner released the leash, Hemmingway continued to antagonize the pooch by stepping towards it and raising the knife above his head, and yelling. The severely injured animal then wandered into a corner store until police arrived.

The Animal Cruelty Division concluded after reviewing the footage that Hemmingway did not stab the dog out of self-defense. He was detained in the Onondaga County Justice Centre after being arrested for aggravated animal cruelty, an unclassified felony.

Similar incident in Central Park, NYC

This horrific incident came just a few days after a couple’s dog was stabbed to death during a quarrel in Central Park in New York City. Brian Robert Cornwell, 52, together with his wife Melanie, were walking their two dogs when they got into an altercation with the suspect, who was also walking his dogs.

At one point, the couple’s dog was attacked by the suspect’s unleashed pooch. As they attempted to separate the dogs, the suspect pulled out a switchblade and started ruthlessly slashing the couple’s female pit bull mix.

"You killed my dog you piece of s**t," Cornwell told the suspect as video caught him leaving the area. The couple's severely wounded dog was rushed to a nearby veterinary facility, where she was euthanized that night.