Tyrese Gibson turned himself in to Atlanta police Friday, nearly two weeks after an arrest warrant was issued against the actor on animal cruelty charges.
The arrest warrant on Sept. 22 claimed that, four days earlier, four Cane Corsos owned by Gibson killed a neighbor’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in the neighbor’s driveway. The alleged dog attack came after neighbors made several calls to authorities over the past year about the 2 Fast 2 Furious actor’s dogs.
Gibson, who said he was out of town at the time of the dog attack, returned this week to Atlanta, where he was formally booked on a charge of cruelty to animals. He was subsequently released on a $20,000 bond, NBC News reports.
Earlier this week, Gibson accepted responsibility for the dog attack, even though he was in Los Angeles “mourning the loss of my father just 15 days ago” at the time of the incident.
“After nearly 40 years of being a passionate dog lover—raising everything from Pomeranians, Yorkies, Shih Tzus, Maltese, to larger breeds like Shar Peis—my dogs have only ever been treated as family. They’ve never been trained to harm, never spent a single day in attack or protection training, and they’ve grown up playing with kids and smaller dogs in my home,” Gibson said in a statement posted on social media.
“That’s why this incident has left me shocked, devastated, and heartbroken for the family affected. As an empath, my heart hurts deeply for their unimaginable loss, and I’ve been trying to reach out directly to express my sorrow and condolences.”
Gibson’s Cane Corsos have since been rehoused in “safe and loving homes”; the actor refused to give up his dogs when animal control previously came to his residence to surrender them.
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“Mr. Tyrese Gibson wishes to extend his deepest condolences to the family who lost their beloved dog in this tragic incident. His heart is truly broken, and he has been praying for the family constantly, hoping they may one day find it in their hearts to forgive him,” Gibson’s attorney Gabe Banks previously said in a statement.
“Mr. Gibson was out of town when the incident occurred, but he accepts full responsibility for his dogs. As soon as he learned what had happened, he immediately made the incredibly difficult decision to rehome his two adult dogs and their three puppies in safe and loving homes. The liability of keeping them was simply too great, and his heart could not bear the thought of anything like this ever happening again.
From Rolling Stone US
