HARRISBURG, PA. – A Pennsylvania State Police Trooper has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals after an on-duty incident on December 28, 2021.
The criminal complaint alleges that Corporal Michael Perillo responded to assist at an incident involving a loose horse on the roadway. Upon arrival, State Police say Perillo drove a patrol vehicle into the horse multiple times, causing it to fall.
Using the vehicle, Perillo pinned the horse to the pavement, where it was then euthanized by another trooper according to ABC27.
The horse was on the shoulder of Route 1 in Lower Oxford Township and had already been struck by a motorist before troopers were dispatched.
Perillo is charged with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, both graded as a felony of the third degree, and one count of cruelty to animals, a misdemeanor of the second degree. He has been suspended without pay pending resolution of the case.
