HARRISONBURG, Va. — A Harrisonburg police officer accused of killing an injured cat with a baton has been convicted of animal cruelty.
Media outlets report that a judge found 25-year-old Jonathan Snoddy guilty of the misdemeanor charge Thursday in Rockingham County General District Court.
Retired Judge Steven Helvin of Charlottesville ordered Snoddy to pay a $50 fine.
Snoddy was charged in January following a Virginia State Police investigation.
Resident Wayne Meadows told investigators that he took the cat home on Nov. 11, 2011, after a car hit the animal and called Harrisonburg authorities.
Police department policy calls for an officer to euthanize an animal by shooting it, after getting a supervisor’s permission.
Instead, Meadows said Snoddy hit the cat up to 20 times with his baton.
Snoddy’s attorneys say they will appeal the verdict.
Read more: The Post’s crime coverage
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