Lake City Animal Control Officer Accused of Animal Cruelty, Filing False Police Report; Bond Set at $50,000

LAKE CITY, Ark. — A Lake City animal control officer is facing criminal charges after investigators allege he shot and killed a dog and later provided false information to police about the incident.

Cameron Tyler Casey, 34, of Lake City, is charged with two counts of cruelty to animals, misdemeanors, and one count of filing a false police report, a felony, according to a probable-cause affidavit filed in Craighead County Circuit Court.

The case stems from a Dec. 22, 2025, incident in Lake City. Investigators said the Craighead County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division received a request for assistance from the Lake City Police Department regarding a dog that had been shot by a city employee.

According to the affidavit, Casey, who was employed by the city of Lake City as a dog catcher, animal control officer and sanitation worker, told Lake City police that he attempted to use a dart gun to capture an allegedly aggressive dog, but was unsuccessful. Casey reported that the dog charged him and that he shot the dog in self-defense.

FULL AFFIDAVIT: CASEY, CAMERON

Investigators said body camera footage from the Lake City Police Department showed Casey denying that he shot the dog.

While investigating that incident, authorities learned that Casey had allegedly been involved in another incident on Oct. 2, 2025, while assisting with a dog owned by Tyler Crump that had gotten loose. Video reviewed by investigators allegedly shows Casey attempting to take possession of the dog, which appeared to bite Casey on the hand. The affidavit states that Casey then abruptly grabbed the dog, dropped it, and kicked it a lengthy distance across a concrete area.

The dog, a small Chihuahua named Hank, was seen flipping head over heels before hitting the ground and rolling several times, according to investigators. Hank was allegedly unable to return home and was later run over by a vehicle sometime after the incident.

During an interview with the Craighead County Sheriff’s Office, Casey admitted he was employed by the city and had completed training for animal control duties, investigators said. Casey stated that during the Dec. 22 incident, he went to set a trap for stray dogs but encountered dogs that aggressively surrounded him. He said he fired a single shot from a .22-caliber rifle to scare the dogs and did not intend to hit any animal.

Investigators said Casey later acknowledged that the dog he shot was known to Brian Bass and that the dogs ran off and were later located in the yard at Bass’ residence, where Casey took possession of the dog to euthanize it. Casey stated he did not have a tranquilizer dart gun with him at the time, only the rifle.

Regarding the October incident, Casey told investigators he was frustrated and mishandled the situation, admitting he made a mistake when he kicked the dog. He stated he was not trying to hurt the animal and that he believed he could pick up someone else’s dog.

Court records state that an arrest warrant was sought for Casey on two counts of animal cruelty and one count of filing a false police report related to information provided to the Lake City Police Department. Investigators also discovered Casey had an active warrant out of Baxter County, where he is already out on a $10,000 bond in a separate case.

Casey was arrested by Craighead County deputies and transported to the Craighead County Sheriff’s Detention Center.

During a court appearance, prosecutors requested a $25,000 bond. Instead, Judge David Boling set bond at $50,000 and ordered that Casey have no pets or animals as a condition of release.

Casey told the court he lost his job with the city of Lake City and could not afford the bond. The judge declined to reduce the amount.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.