According to today's Journal, a man with a gun is still at large after threatening David Renna, the City's Animal Control Officer, with a gun in Nunziato Field last week. The article does not include a description of the suspect, other than that he was accompanied by a dog. I have left messages with David Renna and Police Lieutenant Paul Upton as well as the journalist, Brock Parker, requesting a description of the suspect.

via the Somerville Journal

Dog owner acts like animal when asked to leash pet

Thursday, November 3, 2005

Enforcing Somerville's leash law is getting dangerous.

Police said a dangerous dog owner flashed a gun at the city's unarmed animal control officer at Nunziato Field last week, because the animal cop warned the man for letting his dog roam free with out a leash.

"He pulled up his shirt [revealed he had a handgun], and said he wasn't afraid of police," said Police Lt. Paul Upton of the pet-owner.

The confrontation between the dog walker and Animal Control Officer Dave Renna was shortly before noon last Thursday at the park near Union Square at the corner of Summer Street and Vinal Avenue.

Renna, police said, witnessed a dog running without a leash in the field and approached the owner about the violation of a city ordinance banning any dogs from running outside without a leash. Violations of the local law are punishable with $25 fine.

But the dog owner argued with Renna about the leash law until the animal cop said he would call police if the pet wasn't put back on a leash.

When the dog owner flashed his gun, Renna called the cops anyway.

Upton said police have a suspect for the pet pow-wow, but no arrests have been made.

Aldermen are currently considering a measure which would allow dogs to run unleashed at Nunziato Field within a fenced-in area known as a dog run. However, the new dog park hasn't been approved, yet.

- Brock Parker