Man shot at dog, hit Jeep, house

When Nicholas Heyrman heard that a loose dog was acting aggressively in the neighborhood, he rushed his child into the house and got his AR-15 rifle to "defend his property," police say.

Heyrman then shot eight rounds at the animal from 32 feet away, missing it each time but hitting a house and a Jeep, according to police.

Heyrman, 33, was charged Monday in Brown County Court with first-degree recklessly endangering safety, a felony carrying a penalty of 12 ½ years in prison.

He appeared in court via teleconference from the Brown County Jail, where he had been held since his arrest Sunday afternoon. He was freed on a $2,500 signature bond and given until Nov. 12 to hire a lawyer for his court appearance that day.

The incident happened about 2 p.m. when neighbors notified police someone was shooting a rifle near S. Oakland Avenue and Ninth Street on Green Bay's west side. While officers headed to the scene, Heyrman apparently called police dispatchers, who directed him to get on his knees in his own driveway and wait with his hands up.

As one officer approached, he saw three neighbors out raking leaves, and he directed them inside. The officer arrived at Heyrman's to find him, wearing a Packers jersey, kneeling as ordered in his driveway. Heyrman had returned his rifle to the garage prior to the officer's arrival, the complaint says.

Heyrman told police a passerby had warned him of an aggressive dog in the area, and Heyrman took his child inside and armed himself. He told police he shot several times but was unsure whether he'd hit the dog.

Police noticed strike marks in the road from where bullets had ricocheted, a criminal complaint says. Police discovered eight cartridge shells and found a bullet lodged in the siding of a house. They also found dents and a bullet hole in a neighbor's Jeep, the complaint says.

Officers estimated the damage at $2,000 to the vehicle and $500 to the house.

Police found the stray dog and turned it over to a local veterinarian. An animal control officer planned to evaluate whether the animal had a history of aggressiveness, police said.

— psrubas@pressgazettemedia.com and follow him on Twitter @PGpaulsrubas