The Texas County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting incident after a Licking woman reported her grandfather shot and killed her dog. Deputies were dispatched to Highway C on Sept. 20 after a female told dispatchers that her grandfather, Mitchell Edgerton, a convicted felon, had threatened to shoot her dog if she didn’t leave — and then carried out the threat.
Mitchell later called dispatch himself, claiming the dogs were chasing his cows and admitting he killed both his own dog and his granddaughter’s dog with a .22‑caliber firearm. According to the probable cause statement, the woman heard gunshots and found her dog dead from a .22‑caliber wound, with a spent casing located nearby.
Deputies say Mitchell admitted to shooting both animals, including firing a second round at his granddaughter’s dog when it was “flopping around,” and later shooting his own dog as it “cowered.” Investigators found no evidence supporting his claim of a mercy kill or livestock protection, noting the dogs were found where they were shot.
Mitchell acknowledged he is a convicted felon and likely prohibited from possessing a firearm. Based on his statements and collected evidence, he has been charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Animal Abuse, his bond was set at $1500.
