Ohio Man Shoots, Kills Buddy’s Dog After Losing $5 In Card Game
An Ohio man allegedly got so enraged over losing $5 in a card game that he pulled out a gun and shot and killed his friend’s dog, then led police on a high-speed chase, WJW (Cleveland) is reporting.
Police say Ricardo Johnson was at a home in the Cleveland suburb of Lorain, playing cards with other men after a baby shower had taken place in the home earlier in the day. Another player won $5 from Johnson; Johnson took exception, and the two men began arguing. He then went to his car and grabbed a gun, and returned, pointing his gun at the other player and demanding his money back.
According to The Cleveland Plain Dealer, a 911 operator received a call from a woman who said Johnson had fired his gun inside her home. In the 911 call (which you can listen to here), she can be heard screaming, “Don’t kill me!”
When first responders arrived on the scene, Johnson was attempting to drive away from the home in his Chevy Impala. A police cruiser attempted to follow Johnson, but he allegedly fled. Police say Johnson led them on an eight-minute chase through the Cleveland suburbs, according to a police report provided by the Morning Journal.
“Ricardo committed multiple infractions along his route, including failing to stop at two red lights (West 21st Street and Oberlin Avenue), (East 21st Street and Elyria Avenue). The pursuit lasted for eight minutes and averaged speeds of 40 mph with a high of 65 mph.”
He eventually gave up the case and surrendered, and was taken into custody without incident
At the police station, police noted Johnson had bloodshot, watery eyes, had difficulty keeping his balance, and smelled of alcohol. He blew a 0.159 on the Breathalyzer – nearly twice the legal limit.
Police covered the dog, Diablo, with a blanket and took him to a veterinarian for emergency surgery. A veterinarian removed a 9 mm bullet from the animal, but he had lost too much blood, and he was put to sleep.
“The veterinarian called and advised [the dog’s owner] that Diablo had sustained three gunshots. The veterinarian advised that Diablo had lost a lot of blood, would require extensive surgery and the best course of action was to put Diablo to sleep.”
Johnson faces charges of aggravated menacing, endangering children (because a child was in the home when he fired his weapon), having weapons under disability (because he was drunk when he allegedly fired the gun), discharge of a firearm on prohibited premises, prohibitions concerning companion animals, operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, willful or wanton disregard for safety on streets, and fleeing.
Ricardo Johnson is not the first person to commit a heinous crime in response to a dispute over a card game. In 2015, according to KARE (Minneapolis), 44-year-old Chad Nicholas Nelson was playing poker at a Coon Rapids, Minnesota, bar when another player accused him of cheating. Nelson, enraged at the accusation, began arguing with the other player, identified as 29-year-old Rayontra Raydell McCall. The argument made its way outside, when Nelson, while sitting in his Jeep, allegedly punched the victim in the face, then pulled out his gun and fired multiple shots into the victim’s chest. He later died at a hospital of his injuries.
As of this writing, Ricardo Johnson remains jailed on $50,000 bond.
[Image via Shutterstock/Fotos593]
