BENTONVILLE -- A Rogers man was sentenced to eight years in prison and ordered not to own any animals after he admitted to killing his neighbor's dog with a crossbow.
Charles Ferris, 54, pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated cruelty to a dog, cat or horse, aggravated assault and battery. The plea was under an agreement Ray Spruell and Alison Lee, Ferris' attorneys, reached with Wilson Raines, deputy prosecutor.
Charles and Leslie Fontenot reported March 27, 2022, to the Benton County Sheriff's Office they came home and found their dog dead on the front porch with an arrow in it, according to the affidavit. The couple, who lived on Sheppard Place Road in Rogers, said the blood trail went from their house down Deer Run Lane, according to the affidavit.
Ferris admitted to a sheriff's deputy his involvement in the dog's death. He said he shot the dog in the face while the animal was behind his shed, according to the affidavit.
Ferris said he first shot the dog with rubber balls, then went in his home to get his crossbow. He added the dog wasn't attacking his two dogs or another person, but it didn't retreat and stood its ground, according to the affidavit. Ferris shot the dog, which then ran away bleeding from the mouth, the affidavit states.
The battery and aggravated assault charges are connected with a separate incident involving Ferris with his neighbors. He was accused of threatening the neighbors with a knife.
The plea agreement called for Ferris to serve eight years in prison. Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green previously rejected a plea that would have resolved the case with a six-year prison sentence.
Green set another condition in order to accept the plea agreement: She did not think Ferris should have contact with any animals since he was pleading guilty to a felony charge for killing a dog.
Spruell told the judge Ferris had a service animal. Spruell asked Ferris if he was willing to abide by the judge's condition.
"I guess I will get rid of my service animal," Ferris said.
Ferris, in addition to his prison sentence, was ordered to enroll in an anger management program and comply with the recommendations.
In January 2020, Ferris pleaded guilty to aggravated assault after admitting to shooting a man who was wearing a bullet-resistant vest. He was placed on five years of state-supervised probation.
A sheriff's deputy interviewed Ferris on March 31, 2019, at Mercy Hospital in Rogers. Ferris said he was shot six times -- once in the chest and five times in the back -- while protecting a man he called his "asset," according to court documents.
Ferris later told the deputy Christopher Hicks shot him once while he was wearing a bullet-resistant vest; Ferris said he then shot Hicks five times while he was wearing the vest. None of the rounds penetrated the vest, according to court documents.
Hicks said Ferris shot him about five times while he was wearing the vest, but Hicks said he refused to shoot Ferris, who then shot himself while wearing the vest, according to court documents.
The charge against Hicks was dismissed after Ferris admitted to shooting himself while wearing the vest.