Hampton man charged with hitting duck with stick, killing it

Police charged a Hampton man with animal cruelty after he admitted he struck another man’s pet duck with a stick, causing it to die, according to a criminal complaint.

Kenneth J. Sharer, 63, said he hit the animal because he was sick of ducks defecating and laying eggs on his property.

The incident happened in May, but Officer Nathan Meade didn’t file charges against Sharer until last week.

Sharer was charged via summons with aggravated animal cruelty, a felony; and disorderly conduct, a summary offense. No attorney was listed for him in online court records.

Police Chief Thomas Vulakovich told the Tribune-Review on Tuesday that he had not spoken with Meade about the incident. But he said the ongoing investigation could be the reason it took so long for charges to be filed.

“Sometimes it takes a period of time to conduct investigations, talk to witnesses and then making sure that anybody that’s going to be involved in the case, as a victim, would want to testify,” Vulakovich said.

Meade said he was called to a home in the 3300 block of Wagner Road on May 8 after a woman reported an injured duck in her yard. When Meade got to the home, he saw an injured white duck in the front yard. The duck was quacking, but was unable to walk or fly, according to the complaint.

Meade spoke with the woman who reported the incident. She told him she saw Sharer hit the duck with a stick and injure it when it was in his front yard, according to the complaint. The duck crawled into her yard after it was hurt.

The woman said the duck belongs to another man who lives on the road. She called the duck’s owner, who came to her house and spoke with Meade.

Meade said the owner was visibly upset about the injured animal, and told Meade he raised the animal from a baby, according to the complaint. The owner said he wanted to pursue criminal charges against Sharer for hurting the duck, as well as seek restitution for the duck’s medical care.

Meade said Sharer apologized for striking the duck, according to the complaint.

Sharer told Meade he “felt terrible” about what happened, and that he didn’t mean to injure the animal, but was frustrated about multiple ducks always coming onto his property, the complaint said.

The owner said he would take the duck to a veterinarian for medical care. On May 10, the woman who reported the incident informed Meade that the duck had died.

Vulakovich said Meade filed the correct charge in connection to this case.

“I understand it’s a felony and it is a serious charge, but that’s the appropriate charge,” Vulakovich said.

A preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 28 before Magisterial District Judge Tom Swan in West Deer.