The Hound has chased his share of cats in the past, but never used a .22-caliber while tracking them down.
That's what Sean O. Hand of Gurnee was charged with. Shooting Joshua the cat, a feline from his neighborhood, who took a bullet in the back. The cat's feeling fine after several thousand dollars in vet bills.
Mr. Hand's feeling fine, too, after a judge this week gave him a directed verdict of not guilty. The judge ruled that despite Mr. Hand telling his neighbors that he shot the cat, there was no corroborating evidence of the deed. So Mr. Hand strolled out of the Lake County courthouse a free man.
No word if Mr. Hand was going to eat the cat. After all, most hunters eat what they shoot and from the Hound's experience he can tell Mr. Hand that cat tastes like chicken. The Hound assumes Mr. Hand is a hunter because, according to Gurnee police, he has a .22-caliber rifle with a scope, five other long guns and three handguns.
With an arsenal like that he could bag his limit of cat in no time! Yum!
I have lived in Mr. Hand's neighborhood for over 10 years. I own two indoor cats and a dog. I have seen Joshua the cat on many occasions. Usually he is carrying a dead animal, in his mouth, or fighting with other neighborhood cats. My neighbor's cat was badly injured, by Joshua, in a cat fight, in my neighbor's own yard. Maybe my neighbor should talk to Joshua's owners about the vet bills they incurred. It cost them several hundred dollars to get their cat's injuries fixed. My neighbors, and I, wish that JOSHUA would just GO AWAY! Joshua's a LOCAL PEST. Last year my son was traumatized when Joshua came strolling through our yard with a screaming baby rabbit in his mouth. Joshua IS NOT the poor, defenseless, beloved, neighborhood cat he's been made out to be. Gurnee needs to pass legislation to keeps ALL pets, not just dogs, from roaming aroung loose. By the way, Mr. Hand is a good, practicing, Christian who donates both his time and money working at local food distribution sites passing out food to the less fortunate. That's more than I can say for the neighbors who tried to ruin his life using an "Alledged Conversation". All they ever do is drink beer and party. The press should get their facts straight before they condemn a person on mere, one-sided, hearsay! Mr. Hand was found NOT GUILTY!! Leave he and his family alone!
THE HOUND SEZ: If memory serves, Gurnee does have a law that keeps pets running around loose. It's called a leash law and all cats, dogs, ferrets and pet rabbits have to be leashed outside their yards. Nobody ever said Joshua was a nice, upstanding cat. But did he deserve to get shot? Besides, that's what's cats do. They hunt game, such as baby rabbits (which, by the way are quite tasty). At least when they hunt, they use their teeth and claws. And so what if Mr. Hand's neighbors drink beer and party. Lots of people in Gurnee do, just as lots of people in the village praise the Lord, whichever one they choose.
Although Mr. Hand looks like he has eaten lots of cats, his hunting ability is questionable--he shot Joshua twice and couldn't "bag" him.
Appartently a confession in this country doesn't hold much weight in the court system. Maybe Judge Rossetti would have felt differently if she lived next door to Mr. Hand along with his arsenal. Not Guilty doesn't mean innocent.
THE HOUND SAYS: You are quite right about the verdict. Perhaps acquitted would be a better term than directed not guilty. Mr. Hand had a smart attorney, asking for a bench trial. As for Mr. Hand's shooting ability, that's why the NRA wants to legalize assault rifles. A 30-round banana clip of 7.62 ammo in a Chicom AK-47 would have done the trick instead of a measily .22. Lock and load!
Practicing Christian??? Hahahahahahaha! Ask Mr Hand when that started? After July 8th 2005 I'll bet. You can also bet Mr.Hand will be left alone, by the neighbors on his street, the ones that live closest to him. Ask Mr. Hand why he left his last neighborhood. Not guilty doesn't mean innocent.
THE HOUND SAYS: As we have seen in a number of cases, religion moves in mysterious ways.