article_snippet: A Texas man has been charged with animal cruelty after A Texas man shot dead a bull terrier at a Houston-area dog park because A Texas man thought animal cruelty was acting in a threatening manner.
article_snippet: The Harris County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that 26-year-old Joseph Potts is facing a count of felony animal cruelty with a deadly weapon in connection to the January 25 shooting at Bay Area Dog Park in Houston.
article_snippet: Justice for Diesel: 26-year-old Joseph Potts is facing a count of felony animal cruelty with a deadly weapon for shooting dead Randall Livingston's 2-year-old dog, Diesel (pictured)
article_snippet: 26-year-old Joseph Potts, 26, was at Bay Area Dog Park in Houston Houston in January when one of Sheriff's deputies dogs had an interaction with Diesel, which ended with the 26-year-old man shooting the animal three times .
article_snippet: Authorities said 26-year-old Joseph Potts, himself a dog owner, gunned down a 2-year-old black-and-white Staffordshire bull terrier named Diesel in front of his owner’s horrified mother.
article_snippet: Potts, who is a concealed handgun license holder, told deputies the dog was aggressive toward him, him wife and their two pets.
article_snippet: But witnesses told police that Diesel was playing with other dogs in the park when 26-year-old Joseph Potts came up to the bull terrier, kicked 26-year-old Joseph Potts and then shot 26-year-old Joseph Potts three times - once in 26-year-old Joseph Potts leg and twice in 26-year-old Joseph Potts back.
article_snippet: Randall Livingston, Diesel’s owner, told Click2Houston Click2Houston was excited when the sheriff's department reached a decision this week to charge 26-year-old Joseph Potts with a crime in connection to 26-year-old Joseph Potts pet's killing. '
article_snippet: Four-legged 'threat': Potts, who is a concealed handgun license holder, told deputies Diesel (pictured) was aggressive toward him, him wife and their two pets .
article_snippet: Cruel: Witnesses said 26-year-old Joseph Potts kicked Diesel to get 26-year-old Joseph Potts away from 26-year-old Joseph Potts own dog, and then pulled a Glock and fired on the pooch, striking 26-year-old Joseph Potts in the leg and back .
article_snippet: According to witnesses, the other dog's owner, Joseph Potts, gave Diesel a kick, pulled out a Glock 9-mm and shot the 2-year-old animal three times.
article_snippet: According to a sheriff’s report cited by Houston Press, 26-year-old Joseph Potts told a deputy that 26-year-old Joseph Potts shot Diesel because 26-year-old Joseph Potts approached one of 26-year-old Joseph Potts dogs 'and began to get aggressive.'
article_snippet: After failing to kick Diesel away from 26-year-old Joseph Potts pet, 26-year-old Joseph Potts stated that 26-year-old Joseph Potts 'began to fear for the safety of 26-year-old Joseph Potts dogs, 26-year-old Joseph Potts wife and 26-year-old Joseph Potts.' 26-year-old Joseph Potts was quoted as saying that 26-year-old Joseph Potts was sorry for what happened, and that ‘26-year-old Joseph Potts did not want to harm the dog but felt like 26-year-old Joseph Potts had no choice.
article_snippet: But according to an eyewitness, it appeared that 26-year-old Joseph Potts was taking 26-year-old Joseph Potts time and carefully aiming the gun at Diesel.
highlights_snippet: Joseph Potts, 26, charged with felony animal cruelty with deadly weapon for shooting dead Randall Livingston's 2-year-old dog, Diesel .
  Potts, who is a concealed handgun license holder, told deputies Diesel was aggressive toward him, him wife and their two pets .