Updated Thursday March 8, 2012 at 10:33 a.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Centralia City Council Member Bill Bates has been charged with a gross misdemeanor for fatally shooting his neighbor’s cat with a pellet rifle last week.
Bates, who is also pastor of a downtown church, said it was an accident, he was only trying to run it out of his yard.
"Susie"
It happened a week ago Monday in the 900 block of Ham Hill Road in Centralia.
The cat’s owners – the Pannette family – and Bates both said police described to them it’s not criminal to shoot a nuisance animal on your own property.
However, Centralia Police Chief Bob Berg said there is a specific city ordinance about shooting an animal with an air gun.
It’s unlawful to point or shoot an air gun at property of another, Berg said. The cat is the “other’s” property, he said.
The frustration over the untimely death of their 10-year-old cat prompted Dusty Pannette to flyer her neighborhood, so others would be aware of the dangers posed to their roaming animals.
Today, Pannette said she’s satisfied, but not even interested in going to court when he appears before a judge.
“I’m just glad they’re charging him so I don’t have to stand on my soapbox anymore,” she said.
Bates said he has no comment.
He has said he was tired of the animal walking on his clean cars and messing in his beauty bark.
A police officer delivered the citation to Bates on Saturday. His arraignment in Centralia Municipal Court is set for March 27.
Chief Berg said the case was referred to the city attorneys’ office for possible charges and her decision was made on Friday. He disputes the officer told the parties it wasn’t against the law.
The police chief bristled somewhat at the question of whether his department or the city prosecutor should investigate an alleged crime committed by one of the “bosses” of their boss, the city manager.
Some people give city council members too much credit for the actual reach of their authority, he suggested.
“What I can tell you is the way this case was handled was exactly the way any case would be handled,” Berg said.
Bates, 60, was charged by criminal citation with unlawful use of an air gun – which includes pellet or BB guns.
He was also charged under state law with willfully or recklessly killing or injuring a pet. Both are gross misdemeanors, punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a fine.
Pannette says she’s been amazed by the number of letters and sympathy cards from friends and strangers as well as the outpouring of intense opinions about how right or the wrong the minister’s actions were.
“I was really surprised,” she said. “You have your gun people, your animal people, your religious people and your average Joe Schmoe.”
Chief Berg agreed it’s an interesting conversation, with strong feelings on both sides. The rules and attitudes about weapons, property and pets vary.
While the city has the ordinance about using pellet guns on animals, residents in unincorporated Lewis County don’t have a similar prohibition.
It’s unlawful to discharge a real firearm inside the city limits as well, but that’s not the case out in the county.
And while unincorporated Lewis County has an ordinance in which owners are specifically not permitted to allow their animals to trespass or damage someone else’s plants, animals or property, the city of Centralia has no such “leash law” for cats; only for dogs and livestock.
“There is no city ordinance about cats running at large,” Berg said.
And then there are animal cruelty laws to consider.
Chief Berg says its allowable for those in the city to take reasonable precautions to protect their property, but you can’t use deadly force to protect your property, he said.
“I think the answer here is the manner he chose to get the animal,” Berg said.
Pannette, who owns a clothing store in the Fairway Center in Centralia, said the lawyer she and her husband Jay Pannette hired when they thought the pastor was going to walk away from what happened, told her he couldn’t take any credit for something getting done.
Bates was charged before their attorney got a meeting with the police chief, she said.
“We’re just glad they’re doing something, I’m hoping they take his gun away,” she said.
The family also came to he conclusion over the weekend they finally had an answer to mysterious injuries “Susie” the tom cat had turned up with since before the holidays, she said.
“When you go back to, when you think, someone’s been shooting at him, that would explain the bruise between his tendons on his foot and the hole in his neck,” she said.
Bates is serving his fourth year on the city council and is minister at Destiny Christian Center, an Assemblies of God church on North Tower Avenue in Centralia.
He has apologized publicly, and told the Pannettes he usually shot at the cat’s feet, according to Dusty Pannette.
Bates spoke at length last week about what occurred, but declined on Tuesday to say thing more.
“You know, right now, I have no comment on it,” Bates said.
•••
For background read “Minister, city council member shoots neighbor cat dead with pellet gun” from Thursday March 1, 2012, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
dr. whisler, you’re an idiot.
Owls and other mice-eaters do a good enough job of controlling the rodent population.
Cats are basically a holocaust on birds.
If cats only killed rats, then your stupid argument might be valid, but they don’t. They kill anything that moves. And they don’t kill to eat either, they kill for fun.
So if you love your cat, keep it indoors where it won’t be poisoned, shot, or trapped and relocated.
But if you hate your cat, which it sounds like you do, just let it roam around freely so it can get hit by a car or shot with a bb gun!!!
Moron.
Wake up Call for these folks that think cat owners should keep cats inside…There is a reason why cats are allowed to roam free…If every person kept their cats indoors we’d have a whole lot bigger problem than a little cat poop to worry about…cats provide a very important service which is controlling the Mice and Rat population!! Without them we would be totally over run by Rat and Mice Poop and they get into everything you have including your food, not to say anything about that they multiply faster than rabbits and bring with them all kinds of illnesses and diseases that can even bring death. So all of you cat haters need to look at the whole picture of what life would bring without them. To the people who like to eat them well your just sick and need a whole lot of some kind of help. People like you never probably have to worry about your next meal since without cats there would be more than enough rats to eat.
The point is “this cat and other cats” that irresponsible pet owners let trespass and destruct others property should either keep there cats inside, or it should be open season on them. Why wouldn’t you care about your pets enough to take care of them? You take care of your kids, tell them not to destroy other property, but with cats it’s OK? Have you seen the scratches a cat can do to a paint job on a car? Have you tried to get cat piss off your porch? Do you like planting flowers in your flower bed only to dig up cat crap? IF YOU CAN’T CONTROL YOUR PETS, YOUR SHOULDN’T HAVE THEM! How much common sense do people have to lose to think what this cat was doing was OK?
Bates screwed up by not telling the neighbor to keep the cat out of his yard and off his car. I would’ve told the neighbor that I have bowls antifreeze outside to control pests (mice, rats and such) and if your uncontrollable cat drinks it, it could die.
And Lynda my user name can be whatever I want. Mostly so people like you wont attack me personally, you must be the type that likes to make harassing phone calls and threats by wanting to know my “real” name……how bout you blow it out your butt.
I love killing the cats around the neighborhood, afterwards I cook and eat them. Just wish mr bates would of told me that he had a cat that you coming in his yard. From the pics it would of been a juice cat.
I hate when cats walk on my cars and get their muddy prints everywhere but on the same token I’m an animal lover and wouldnt kill a cat. Other options are out there, such as getting a live trap from the animal shelter. You leave a deposit for the trap and get it back upon return.
That seams very out of character for bates and I buy what he said.
I am sure he feels very bad right now! I know I have cussed at the cat’s muddy paw prints on my car. But, he sure did not think things out. He acted very territorial and oh how he will pay for what I would bet is a very unlucky shot. Beyond all of this his actions are saying a lack of impulse control. I would say he lost the trust of a lot of people, shame really he has done some great work.
My dad’s name is Joe, and that’s no joke. Why does “Joe” have to mean “Average Joe” when “Joe” might really be Joe?
Dear Joe, You’re so sure of your opinion, why do you use such a fake name? The law is the law and to me, this man should have known more than your “average Joe” about the law since he sits on the city council. You have an animal doing destructive things to your property, you go talk to your neighbor and if that doesn’t work, you call animal control.
Mr. Wohld, I applaud your many years as an animal control officer. You did a great job and have the love of animals that someone in that position should have.
I am satisfied that this appears to be being handled appropriately now.
Worked with animals for 30 plus years. Can’t completely control a cat as by nature they do love to hunt. (GOD BLESS THEM) If this was my cat I would be going after Bates big time. He could have come over and told the cat owner the cat was being a problem. Further more the animal shelter loans out live traps and that would have been the proper way to go. Also Bates being on the council, why didn’t he contact the City animal control before just killing the cat. He stats this was a accident, he was trying to scare it off by shooting at its feet and hits it behind the ear. (COME ON GIVE ME A BREAK) To the cat owner sorry for what happen. I know I never live my house for work before all my animals are safe and contained. Bates won’t get my vote next time around.
If the cat was a nuisance, then I would of shot it too, the only difference is I would of disposed of the little kitty and not said a thing. You won’t see any roaming cats around my yard.
People who love their animals do not allow their animals to roam all over the neighborhood. Indoor cats are happy, healthy, and disease-free. Outdoor cats are nuisance animals that should be eliminated.
Cats are concerted territory animals which means they roam around. There is no way to keep a cat in your yard with out keeping them in your house 24-7 or caging them up. Then it becomes animal abuse on your part. Congratulation to the prosecutor for bring the charges. Just because you are pastor or a counsel man does not put you out side the law.
^^^to “Joe” above…when a cat is provided the cat litter and access to it…they use the litter box—bet you this person did not complain about mice around/or in his house—to set off to “intentionally bring harm or distress ” to ANY animal should be a prosecutable crime—shame on him for resorting to a type of weapon to serve his woes…
I think he should charge the neighbor with property destruction from the cat. Pissing and crapping all over his house and yard…..