FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ind. – A former Indiana police officer pleaded guilty to animal cruelty after his K-9 partner was found frozen to death in a trash bag, according to WWLT.
The former officer, Clinton Ellis, reached a plea agreement this week in the death of his K-9, Blade.
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An affidavit shows Blade was given to Laurel Police Department in summer 2017 and was assigned to Ellis. He lived in Ellis' home for the remained of his life.
On January 18, 2018, someone contacted authorities saying they had Blade's body. That person told officers that he had watched the dog's condition deteriorate over several months.
When Ellis was interviewed, he said Blade "did not look any different to him than on the day he first brought him home," according to the affidavit.
Other reports show that Blade's ribs could be seen from how skinny he had gotten.
On Tuesday, Ellis pleaded guilty to one count of striking or interfering with a law enforcement animal and one count of animal cruelty. On Thursday, he was sentenced to a year in jail, with 311 of those days suspended.