As part of sentence, man cannot have pet
The sentence handed down to a Butler man included something more than just jail time and probation — he’s not allowed to have a pet or be around animals.
Douglas Spink, 47, of Butler, agreed to a plea deal that reduced his original charges of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct to two counts of resisting arrest with a weapon.
For that, Spink pleaded guilty and will serve a minimum sentence of 11½ months in Butler County Prison followed by two years of probation.
But Spink, who held a machete to his dog’s throat during a confrontation with police in November, agreed in a plea deal not to live with any animals or even be near animals.
Assistant District Attorney Ben Simon demanded the animal clause be added to address, Simon said before, his “history with animals.”
“We felt it was necessary to add that condition,” Simon said earlier this month.
Police were originally looking for Spink on a mental health warrant obtained by the crisis intervention center. Police found him on Nov. 25, 2017 in an alley between Fulton and Pearl streets.
Spink was cooperative at first, police said, but once his dog appeared on the scene, Spink became aggressive and held a machete and knife to his dog’s throat and bit the hand of a trooper.
The confrontation ended after more than two hours when police used a Taser on Spink multiple times and shot him with several bean bag rounds before arresting him, according to police records. No harm came to the dog.
