Cheonan man accused of murdering dog with e-bike avoids jail — for now

Authorities declined to order the arrest and detention of a man in his 50s accused of killing a dog by dragging it behind an electric bicycle.

The Cheonan Dongnam Police Precinct said Wednesday that the Cheonan branch of the Daejeon District Prosecutors’ Office had rejected a recent police request to take the suspect into custody on suspicion of violating the Animal Protection Act.

Prosecutors cited "no risk of flight or destruction of evidence" as the reason for their decision.

The suspect is accused of tying a large collie to his electric bicycle and forcing it to run for over 30 minutes at speeds of 10 to 15 kilometers per hour (6 to 9 miles per hour) along a walking path near the Cheonan Stream in Sinbu-dong, Dongnam District, Cheonan, around 7:52 p.m. on Aug. 22.

Witnesses reported seeing the dog, panting heavily and bleeding, being dragged behind the e-bike. Bystanders stopped the suspect and reported the incident to the police and Cheonan city officials.

The dog later died on the way to an animal hospital. A veterinarian said after that suffocation was the likely cause of death.

Based on tip-off footage and the condition of the dead dog, police concluded that the suspect had killed the animal in a cruel manner. Authorities also believe the suspect had been neglecting and abusing two dogs kept on the rooftop of a mixed-use building under poor conditions.

Police sought the suspect's arrest and detention Sunday but now plan to forward the case to prosecutors.

"There is ample evidence including footage taken in a public area," a police official said. "We will not reapply for a warrant and will proceed with the case without detaining him."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]