BISMARCK-Police in Bismarck responded around 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, to a call about a squirrel struck by a dart.

Bismarck Police Sgt. Tim Sass said officers responded after the caller described the squirrel as "acting weird" when it was running along a fence, and then it fell to the ground. The caller told police the squirrel had been struck by a large dart. The squirrel died as a result.

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Officers spoke with a male neighbor who police said admitted to hitting the squirrel with the dart. The case was referred for review to the city attorney's office for "throwing missiles," according to Sass.

Bismarck's "throwing of missiles" statute reads as follows: "It is unlawful for any person to throw or discharge any stone, snowball or any similar object or other missile, including fireworks, upon, in or at any vehicle, building or upon or at any person."

Sass likened "throwing of missiles" to throwing a snowball that causes property damage.

"It's unlawful to throw rocks or shoes or cinder blocks at other people's stuff," Bismarck Assistant City Attorney Jason Hammes said. "The point behind (the law) is to keep people from throwing stuff at other people's stuff."

Hammes, who said he hasn't yet seen a report from Saturday's incident, added that animal cruelty charges, if applicable, would go through the Burleigh County State's Attorney's Office.

Sass said the case is under investigation.

A previous version of this story contained an error. The incident was reported Saturday.