Authorities on Friday charged a Craighead County man with discharging a weapon inside the city limits after he shot and killed a Bay Police Department drug dog.

Zach Worley, 26, of Bay told police that he shot Vox, a 10-year-old German shepherd, on Thursday when he saw the dog attacking a pet rabbit he kept in his backyard at his Lunsford Avenue home, Bay Police Chief Paul Keith said.

Keith said the dog had dug under a fence at the home of his handler, officer Keith Milam, about 7:30 a.m. Thursday and escaped.

Worley said he did not know the animal was a police drug dog until hearing TV reports of a search for Vox late Thursday evening.

At 10 p.m., Keith said Worley called to report that he had shot the dog with a .22-caliber rifle after seeing it in his backyard with a pet rabbit in its mouth.

"He was very cooperative and forthcoming with information," Keith said of Worley. "He was very remorseful."

When contacted at his workplace in Jonesboro on Friday afternoon, Worley said he didn't want to comment.

"I want all this to die down," he said. "It's a very emotional issue. When things are better, I'll talk about it."

Worley wrote on his Facebook page Thursday at 8:37 a.m. that "sometimes in life you must do things you don't really want to do. But as long as your [sic] protecting you, yours and what you believe is right then I say it's ok."

Craighead County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Alan Copelin said Worley was charged with violating Bay's city ordinance that prohibits the firing of a weapon inside the city limits -- a misdemeanor.

"I suggested no additional charges be added for the death of a police dog," Copelin said.

Worley could have faced felony charges for killing what the state considers to be a police officer.

Copelin said Worley apparently did not know the dog was a K9 police dog when he shot at it, and the dog was "not acting on duty" when shot.

Vox was a member of the Bay Police Department since 2008 and was trained in drug detection and other searches, Keith said.

"He could find objects," Keith said. "If someone threw car keys into a field or dropped a gun somewhere during a pursuit, he could find it. It was amazing to see him work."

The death of Vox has saddened his officers, the chief said.

"He was like a member of our family," he said. "We all have worked with him. You get attached to him."

Keith said he hopes to get a new K9 officer, but the $10,000 cost for one is prohibitive. He said his officers may hold events to raise funds to buy one.

The department will also soon hold a memorial service for Vox, Keith said.

"This is an unfortunate incident on both sides," he said. "We hate it for everyone."

State Desk on 04/11/2015