A Noorvik man is facing five assault charges and a disorderly conduct charge after allegedly attacking family members and several of the family dogs on May 6.
According to Alaska State Trooper reports, Edward Coffin, III, 28, was allegedly drinking homebrew with a member of his family when he assaulted that family member, punching him multiple times.
Following that altercation, the origin of Coffin's initial fourth-degree domestic violence assault charge, Coffin reportedly proceeded to another family member's house.
While there, Coffin caused an additional four family members to fear they were in danger of being injured. The incident did not stop with the human members of that residence.
According to the trooper report, Coffin then attempted to hang one of the family's dogs using a rope. He beat a second dog, and then relieved himself on the family puppy.
"I wouldn't call it common but it does occur occasionally where somebody is abusing a dog because they're mad at a family member," said Kotzebue District Attorney John Cagle. In fact, he has one such case pending, he added.
Cagle couldn't comment further on the details of the case while it was still ongoing, but he said the disorderly conduct charge against Coffin was in connection to the acts of violence directed at the animals.
Coffin is not being charged specifically with animal cruelty at this time.
In 2010 Gov. Sean Parnell signed a bill that made egregious acts of cruelty directed at animals a felony upon the first offense. Coffin's bail hearing was yesterday, and his trial call date is set for July 16.
Hannah Heimbuch can be reached at hheimbuch(at)reportalaska.com.
This article originally appeared in The Arctic Sounder, and is republished here with permission.