AR-News: Big Cockfight Raid in NC

[Political Animal]

Deputies Raid Hoke County Cockfight
More Than 70 People Could Face Charges
A major cockfighting bust could land dozens of people
in jail. Hoke County deputies said they plan to charge
as many as 75 people.

 

Investigators reportedly have called it the worst case
of cockfighting they can remember. They have spent the
past couple of days putting together the paperwork to
file charges. 

 
 
Detectives raided the back yard of a home on a recent
Sunday and found more than 100 people, including
families, watching roosters fight to the death. 

Wade McMillan lives nearby. He said he was on his way
home from church when he saw officers along his
street. 

"I knew there was something going on," he said. "I
just didn't know what. I found out later." 

Detectives took photos of the scene. They found blood
on cockfighting rings, roosters tied to leashes and at
least a dozen others either dead or dying. 

"I think just about every law-enforcement officer in
Hoke County was at that cockfight that morning," said
Maj. Freddie Johnson, of the Hoke County Sheriff's
Office. 

Deputies caught more than 70 suspects, identified them
and took their photos. 

"I think the parents should have used good judgement
and taken their kids to church that day," Johnson
said.

 

According to investigators, some people give roosters
drugs to make them more aggressive and strap sharp
objects to their feet to make them more deadly. 

Investigators said the people organizing the fights
they busted charged $10 see the fights and even sold
refeshments. 

Deputies plan to charge so many people that the court
has set aside a special day in August just to handle
all the cases. 

Reporter: Jason Stoogenke
Photographer: Michael Joyner
OnLine Producer: Paul Ensslin

 

Source:  http://www.wral.com/news/3417751/detail.html



		
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages!
http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail