The 26-year-old man arrested last week after witnesses say he kicked and stomped a 4-month-old puppy made his first appearance in a Boulder courtroom Wednesday.

Edward McMorris was formally charged with aggravated cruelty to animals and one count of obstructing a peace officer.

McMorris was arrested Aug. 29 after witnesses began calling Boulder police just after 11:45 p.m. to report a man was kicking and stomping on a dog’s head near the intersection of Canyon Boulevard and Broadway, according to a police report. When officers arrived, they saw a man, later identified as McMorris, dragging a “listless and hardly responsive” puppy by a leash behind him, according to the report.

McMorris refused to give police the dog or comply with officer commands, police said. One officer noticed a large metal object hanging from McMorris’ belt and tackled him to the ground when McMorris reached for it.

The puppy, which McMorris said is named Tater, was taken to the Boulder Emergency Vet Clinic and kept overnight after the incident. He has since been transferred to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, where he continues to recover from injuries while being monitored by veterinarians, according to Boulder police.

No one is being allowed to adopt Tater while the case against McMorris remains open, according to the humane society.

Deputy District Attorney Jenny McClintock will be handling the case for the prosecution. McClintock is specially trained to handle animal cruelty cases.

Aggravated cruelty to animals is a Class 6 felony that carries a sentencing range of one year to 18 months in prison, while obstructing a peace officer is a Class 2 misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail in the event of a conviction.

McMorris, who appeared in custody Wednesday, is next scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 27.