CLEMMONS, N.C.-- A Winston-Salem police officer is facing felony animal cruelty charges in Davidson County over an incident involving a small dog.
Davidson County Sheriff's Office said they received a report on Wednesday, May, 9, that a man was hitting a small dog with a basketball, shaking it and threw it several feet onto a concrete slab.
Richard Workman, 47, has been charged with two counts of felony Animal Cruelty. He was booked into the Davidson County Jail under a $10,000 secured bond. Investigators confirm Workman is an active police officer for the Winston-Salem Police Department.
Sheriff David Grice showed the 3 video clips exclusively to WFMY News 2's Adaure Achumba.
In one of the videos, Officer Workman can be seen lifting the puppy by the collar and throwing it across the concrete slab. The puppy then slides across and bangs into a vertical surface. The puppy can be heard yelping upon impact. Then workman proceeded to grab the dog and shook it vigorously.
In a second video clip, while Workman was playing with a basketball, he violently throws it at the puppy. The puppy at that point is seen hiding in the corner, visibly terrified. When Workman missed the shot, the puppy got an opportunity to escape its attacker, but its ordeal wasn't over.
As the puppy scrambled to regain its footing, Workman tried the shot again and this time he hit the target, the puppy, in the back. The puppy yelped in agony again.
Deputies said video of the incident helped with their investigation. The dog which belonged to Workman's girlfriend was removed from the suspect's house and taken to a veterinary hospital to be examined for injuries. The dog was then placed with a foster parent for safekeeping, Sheriff Grice said in a news release.
WFMY News 2 reached out to the Winston-Salem Police Department for a statement on the incident and the status of the officer.
Statement from Winston-Salem Police Chief Catrina A. Thompson:
On May 10, 2018, the Winston-Salem Police Department's Professional Standards Division received notification from the Davidson County Sheriff's Office regarding an investigation related to cruelty to animals. The Winston-Salem Police Department was informed the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office had determined the suspect was Richard Workman, a Winston-Salem Police Detective.
Our Professional Standards Division immediately began an administrative investigation to determine if any of the Winston-Salem Police Department’s policies had been violated. At the conclusion of that investigation, Mr. Workman was suspended, pending a hearing on an action for dismissal.
Workman has been with the police department since October 1999. He was promoted to corporal in January. He works in the Criminal Investigation Division and his salary is $58,164.60, the police department says.