Matthew Weatherspoon on why he stabbed bulldog puppy: "I'm not the Crocodile Hunter"
Update: Matthew Weatherspoon is currently in protective custody, presumably because some of his fellow inmates would like to treat him as he treated a five-month-old bulldog puppy named Diamond, who he's accused of repeatedly stabbing and slashing. That's the kind of act plenty of folks would deem inexcusable. However, Weatherspoon is now claiming he acted in... self defense?
Big pic below.
Weatherspoon sat down for a jailhouse interview with 9News anchor Kyle Clark in the wake of national attention for his horrific story. He'd reportedly reacted to a nip from Diamond by stabbing her five times, with most of his slashes aimed at her face. Then he's said to have tossed her outside his apartment because she'd dared to bleed on his stuff. Fortunately, she was found wandering nearby and transported to an animal hospital, where she underwent three hours of surgery that stitched her back together. She's currently recuperating.
His reaction to the uproar? He told Clark he can imagine why people are angry at him, and "I'm angry at myself, too. But I had no clue what to do at the time. I was panicking. It was either fight or flight."
Why not pick flight? After all, it wouldn't have involved stabbing. But Weatherspoon didn't go there, at least in the portion of the interview broadcast. Instead, he insisted that "the only people who can sympathize with me are the people who have been attacked by animals. I'm not a crocodile hunter. I don't know how to deal with animal attacks other than to defend myself."
Problem is, cops didn't see any visible bite marks on Weatherspoon. But he insists he suffered injuries: "She chipped my tooth. And my arm's all scratched up."
When assessing the credibility of this assertion, you should know Weatherspoon doesn't have the cleanest record. He's been arrested in the past for drug possession, assault and resisting arrest.
Look below to see the aforementioned interview, followed by our previous coverage.
Original item, 7:03 a.m. June 29: Puppies don't behave perfectly from the first moment they open their eyes. They need training -- and most experts back an approach that's loving and positive. Not recommended: The technique allegedly deployed by Matthew Weatherspoon, who's said to have responded to a nip from a bulldog named Diamond by stabbing the dog five times.
Diamond is just five months old -- an age when many puppies are teething. So it's only natural that she might bite the hand that feeds her, at least in play. But according to the Denver Post, Weatherspoon, nineteen, didn't exactly keep the situation in perspective. Instead, he took hold of a knife began slashing Diamond's face, eventually stabbing her a total of five times.
Weatherspoon then reportedly tossed the dog out of his apartment at 6875 Iliff Avenue because he was upset she was bleeding all over the place.
Fortunately, the puppy was found wandering nearby and immediately transported to a veterinary hospital, where she underwent three hours of surgery -- and as of now, she's arguably in better shape than the man who tried to perforate him. Weatherspoon was arrested on suspicion of aggravated animal cruelty (and found no visible bite mark on him), while Diamond will soon be well enough to be adopted from the Denver Animal Shelter.
Bet her new owners will be an upgrade. Below, find a full-size version of Weatherspoon's mug shot and a 9News report offering a view of the recovering Diamond.
Matthew Weatherspoon.
More from our Shmuck of the Week archive: "Dog-kicker Thomas Leurck drinks away his troubles."
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