An engineer for Mayor Daley's scandal-ridden Department of Water Management is facing up to three years in prison for breeding and training pit bulls and bull terriers for sport fighting.
Clifford Bryant was arrested May 6 at his home in West Augusta after two or three dogs tied up in his backyard were "observed with scars consistent with dog fighting," according to the state's attorney office.
Chicago Police officers armed with a warrant then searched Bryant's home and found 10 more dogs and even more evidence they were being used for fighting.
More often than not, dogs are trained for fighting for one purpose: gambling.
But Chicago Police Department spokesman David Bayless said there is "no evidence in the reports that demonstrates there is a gambling component" in Bryant's case.
"Some people do it for gang recruitment. Some people do it for sheer entertainment. I can't speak to the motives of why this individual owned and bred fighting dogs," Bayless said.
"We found the dogs in his home along with treadmills that we believe were used in training the dogs. There was medication used to treat dogs after they're injured in fights. We found some dog-fighting literature and videotapes. We seized the dogs and put them in the care of Animal Care and Control."
Bryant Remains on city payroll.
Bryant was charged with two counts of cruelty to animals and one count of owning, breeding and training a fighting dog. All three charges are felonies punishable by one to three years in prison. He was arraigned last week. His next court date is July 8.
The hoisting engineer remains on the city payroll pending an investigation by Inspector General Alexander Vroustouris. Arrests of city employees routinely trigger an internal investigation by Vroustouris, who must develop his own case to set the stage for disciplinary action, according to Law Department spokeswoman Jennifer Hoyle. Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
Back to Top References« Back to Search Results
|
