ATLANTA, Ga. (AP) – Actor and singer Tyrese Gibson did not surrender to authorities after an arrest warrant was issued. This warrant came after his four Cane Corso dogs mauled and killed a neighbor’s pet in Georgia in September, according to police on Tuesday.
The warrant for the “Fast & Furious” star, concerning cruelty to animals, stems from an “ongoing issue” following numerous complaints about the dogs over recent months, mentioned Fulton County Police Captain Nicole Dwyer.
Dwyer emphasized, “Our priority is community safety, especially with repeated incidents involving large dogs. Once they kill an animal, what might be next? A child? Ensuring safety is our main concern, and that’s why we need these dogs contained.”
Gibson was given several warnings before authorities issued the warrant, which police tried to serve, but he wasn’t present at his Atlanta residence. Dwyer mentioned she communicated with Gibson’s attorney last week, informing them the actor needed to surrender by Friday.
In a statement to The Associated Press, Gibson’s attorney, Gabe Banks, stated the actor is “fully cooperating with authorities to tackle and resolve this matter responsibly.” Although Gibson wasn’t home during the incident, Banks noted that he “quickly made the hard choice to relocate his dogs to a safe and caring environment.”
On the night of September 18, around 10 p.m., a neighbor living half a mile from Gibson left their small spaniel outside. When they returned five minutes later, they found the pet had been attacked. The dog was taken to a veterinary hospital but did not survive, Dwyer reported.
The four dogs were then seen at the next-door house, where the owner called police, saying she was afraid to leave her house. Animal control officers responded and were able to keep the dogs back while the neighbor went to her vehicle.
Police issued a search warrant for Gibson’s property on Sept. 22, but the actor and the dogs were not at the residence.
Banks wrote that Gibson “extends his deepest condolences to the family who lost their beloved dog to this tragic incident.”
Gibson posted a video to Instagram that included various clips of his dogs early Monday. He didn’t speak in the video, but rather included audio from the podcast, “The Breakfast Club,” where hosts discussed the case.
