People who harm dogs have a special place in Hell all to themselves, and that special place just got a new tenant.
This happened on Monday in Mantoloking, NJ, an area known for multimillion-dollar homes and (usually) peace and quiet. A 39-year-old man named Edward Walsh had driven his girlfriend’s stolen vehicle from Sayerville to a home in Mantoloking, which wasn’t owned by anyone he knew. It’s suspected that he went there because he was previously married to a family member of a prior owner.
Police were informed by the current residents that Walsh had entered the home, and were dispatched to serve an outstanding arrest warrant. In addition to vehicle theft, Walsh was wanted for unlawful possession of a weapon, aggravated assault of his girlfriend, and kidnapping.
About 45 minutes after arriving, police entered the home with permission of the current owner. Inside, they found Walsh brandishing a knife. After refusing to put the knife down, a K-9 officer named Kane was released from about 20 feet away. Walsh stabbed the dog with the knife, at which point the officers fired.
Walsh died shortly afterward, although it has not yet been determined whether he died of the gunshot wounds or of a self-inflicted knife wound to the neck which he’d already been suffering from.
“K-9 Officer Kane was transported to Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in Tinton Falls,” Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said on Tuesday, “and thankfully is expected to make a full recovery and be released tomorrow.”
