EATON COUNTY, Mich. — Wednesday night, DNR officers were made aware of a disturbing Snapchat video that showed a man striking a deer with a hammer until it eventually died.
Officers tracked down a 23-year-old Potterville man, who immediately confessed to the crime and surrendered the partially butchered deer and severed head.
The Potterville man claimed that he was on his way home when he came across a buck, apparently disoriented from a recent car-deer accident, and decided to put the deer out its misery.
The video starts with the deer standing upright in the middle of the road, blinded by vehicle headlights. Words of encouragement and laughter can be heard throughout the video, which lasts less than a minute.
The case will be presented to the Eaton County Prosecutor’s Office for possible criminal charges. The man’s name will be released if he is arraigned.
Anyone who witnesses or suspects a natural resource violation should immediately call or text the Report All Poaching hotline line at 800-292-7800. Information can be left anonymously; monetary rewards may be offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of violators.
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