Dog's protector sees charges dropped by Arkansas prosecutors

BENTONVILLE -- A Centerton woman will not face criminal charges for pointing a gun at a teen who she said was abusing a neighbor's dog last month.

Kerrie Lenkerd, 40, was arrested on a preliminary charge of aggravated assault, a felony punishable with up to six years in prison. She was released from custody after she posted a $5,000 bond.

Prosecutors decided Monday not to pursue the case. The teen did not want to pursue charges, and law enforcement officers did not object to the decision, according to court documents.

Lenkerd told Centerton police on April 17 that she saw the teen assaulting her neighbor's dog, according to the affidavit. Lenkerd said she retrieved the gun from a safe and confronted the boy.

She said the teen ran away, and she fired the gun into the grass to scare him, according to court documents. She called police, and when they arrived she gave them an iPad the 14-year-old had left behind, according to court documents.

Police officers found a spent shell casing where Lenkerd said she fired the gun, and police seized a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun, according to court documents.

Metro on 05/19/2017

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