Ivins Rosier, 17, was sentenced today to 23 years in jail for cruelty to an animal with a gun, armed burglary and shooting into a building in Palm Beach, Fla. Rosier was accused of burglarizing Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Robert Boody's home and shooting his 5-year-old German Shepherd several times on Nov. 18, 2012.
"If you shoot that dog and he dies, that's murder of a law enforcement officer," Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Detective Philip DiMola told Rosier on Nov. 21, 2012, noted the Sun Sentinel. However, that wasn't true because the dog was retired from the force, but the false claim prompted a confession from Rosier, who was 16 at the time.
The German Shepherd was put down two days later, but Rosier was not put on trial for murdering a police officer. A judge ordered Rosier to be held without bail at the Palm Beach County Jail after the verdict today.
Rosier's defense attorney Jack Fleischman said authorities did not have Rosier's DNA, fingerprints, or a weapon at the scene.
"There's nothing that corroborates what [Rosier] said," Fleischman claimed. "Mere presence at the scene of a crime is insufficient to convict. If you take his statement out, what's left? They have zero evidence."
During the trial, Fleischman got Detective DiMola to admit on the stand that the dog was "retired" and not a police officer. "It is unbelievable that police can lie [while interrogating suspects], but they can," Fleischman stated in court. "The cop tried to hustle Rosier."
Full article: http://www.opposingv...olice-dog-video
