Deschutes County Sheriff's Office

A Redmond man was arrested Sept. 27 after allegedly beating a 17-year-old dog to death, according to a Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Witnesses reported that Jeffrey Edward Taylor, 39, was beating and injuring Australian Shepard “Ashton” with his hands and feet just after 2 p.m. in the 500 block of NE Yucca Avenue, officials said. A passer-by attempted to intervene and was threatened by Taylor, officials said.

An Oregon State Police trooper arrived moments later and stopped the dog attack, which was still in progress, officials said. Sheriff’s deputies arrived and started performing first-aid on Ashton, who was Taylor’s roommate’s dog, but the dog died before it could be taken to an animal hospital, officials said. The roommate was not home at the time of the attack, officials said.

Taylor was arrested and faces an animal abuse I charge, officials said. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation and was released to hospital staff with a citation in lieu of custody, officials said. Deputies are still investigating the motive behind the attack, officials said.

UPDATE: Sgt. Kent Vander Kemp released this statement Friday afternoon on why Taylor was not lodged in jail:

“Our office has received calls from the public requesting information about why Mr. Taylor was not lodged in the Deschutes County Jail and issued a citation-in-lieu of-custody. Instead of a “physical arrest”, the citation-in-lieu releases the person on the promise to appear in court at a specified date and time. Due to privacy laws, I am unable to specify the reason a citation-in-lieu was used in this particular case. However, citations-in-lieu of custody are often used when people are charged with certain misdemeanor or felony offenses, are too unhealthy or ill for jail, they require emergent medical or mental health care at a hospital or several other unusual circumstances. However, a citation-in-lieu of custody is still an “arrest” and does not discount the seriousness of the alleged crimes.”