Until last week, Tiburon resident Mark Dickinson enjoyed a life of luxurious obscurity on the idyllic shore of Racoon Strait.

Related Articles Marin man arrested after fatally shooting fawn, doe eating his yard plants That changed Saturday morning after Dickinson fatally shot a baby deer and its mother after seeing them eating the “decorative plants” on his Mar East Drive property, police said. Tiburon police arrested him on suspicion of felony animal cruelty.

The weapon was an air-powered Gamo pellet gun with a scope, laser beam and flashlight attachments. Police said the two deer were shot in their sides and suffered prolonged and painful deaths.

The episode sent a mudslide of public scorn descending on Dickinson’s head, with calls for jail, prison or professional ruin. Hundreds of comments, many profane, have been posted to the Independent Journal website, the Nextdoor neighborhood social media site and elsewhere. At least one online petition has been launched demanding that Marin County District Attorney Ed Berberian file charges.

“Makes me sick to my stomach that someone can be so cruel,” Janet Knowlton, a Mill Valley resident, wrote on Nextdoor.

“What a reckless heartless guy,” Nancy Gould, an Oakland resident, wrote in an email to the Independent Journal titled “Marin killer of Bambi and mother.”

Other commenters were more lenient. One said the shooting was a “terribly stupid mistake” but that critics were “hyperventilating about the loss of a non-endangered species.”

“Call me an optimist about humans in general, but its (sic) hard to believe his intent was cruelty and suffering,” the commenter wrote at marinij.com. “Jailing this man for something like this would be a very Marin thing to do (not flattering to Marin).”

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Dickinson, 54, was released on bail while Tiburon police, Marin Humane and the Marin County District Attorney’s Office continue their investigation.

No charges had been filed as of Thursday, said Assistant District Attorney Barry Borden. Dickinson has a provisional court date on Sept. 20 in the event the prosecution files charges.

The animal cruelty count for which Dickinson was booked says the crime applies to someone who “maliciously and intentionally maims, mutilates, tortures, or wounds a living animal, or maliciously and intentionally kills an animal.”

The charge carries possible jail time and a fine of up to $20,000, although probation would be more likely for someone with a light or nonexistent criminal record. Dickinson has no criminal record in Marin.

Dickinson’s lawyer, Charles Dresow, faulted police for making an arrest under the circumstances.

“He had no intent to be cruel or to harm the deer,” Dresow said. “Rather he was simply trying to scare them away from consuming new landscaping.”

Police said hunting laws did not apply to the situation.

“Additional statutes governing California Fish and Wildlife make it illegal to kill deer except in circumstances permitted under California’s fishing and hunting regulations,” the Tiburon Police Department said. “Those circumstances did not exist in this case.”

The municipal code in Tiburon forbids the discharge of firearms in the town, but the ordinance excludes air guns from its definition of firearms.

The municipal code does prohibit the firing of air rifles within 500 feet of a building or street, a scenario that would appear to apply on Dickinson’s property. However, the code makes an exception in cases where the air rifle user is “engaged in the necessary defense of his person or property.”

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Dresow said he himself has received about 30 angry or threatening messages since accepting the case.

“The assaults on my client’s right to the assistance of counsel are misplaced,” he said. “The right to counsel is the foundation of our criminal justice system. It is what separates our way of justice from that of totalitarian states and guarantees that justice is determined by the rule of law and not an angry mob. It is both a privilege and duty to represent the individual from the angry masses.”

The incident could also have professional implications for Dickinson, a commercial pilot who has been certified with the Federal Aviation Administration since November 2008. An arrest or criminal conviction can potentially result in a suspension or revocation of a flight license, said FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer.

“Each case is decided on an individual basis,” Kenitzer said.

Pilots must disclose arrests to the FAA. Kenitzer declined to say whether Dickinson had reported his arrest or what airline he works for.

Dickinson has flown for Southwest Airlines in recent years but it was unclear if he still does. A representative for Southwest said, “We do not comment on the personal matters of any of our employees.”

Holly Johnston, former Mar East Drive resident, still takes regular walks there from her home in Tiburon. She passed Dickinson’s property on Thursday morning.

“I was just flabbergasted,” she said of the deer shooting. “I just hope it never happens again. This man’s going to face charges, so hopefully that’s a lesson to anyone who had that in mind.”

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