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Christopher Joseph Vetrano

Austin police officer booked in Hays County Jail

Monday, July 30, 2018

An Austin police officer has been charged with endangering a child and cruelty to a non-livestock animal after his neighbor reportedly shot video of him beating a dog in front of his child.

Kyle police arrested Christopher Joseph Vetrano, age 47, and booked him into the Hays County Jail on July 27. He was released on $30,000 bond, jail records show.

Vetrano’s neighbor reportedly recorded him yelling at his dog and hitting it with a red broom several times. In June, Vetrano voluntarily spoke with police with his attorney present and said he was disciplining the dog because it digs in the yard. Kyle Animal Control required the dog to undergo a medical evaluation, and veterinarians reportedly said the dog was nervous, had a stiff hind gait and overall tense abdomen, and showed no signs of aggression. The video reportedly shows a child watching Vetrano beat the dog.

Court records show that Vetrano was a defendant in a 2016 lawsuit against the city of Austin and several Austin police officers alleging excessive force. The defendant in the case received gunshot wounds but was not shot by Vetrano, according to court records. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman partially granted the officers’ motion to dismiss the case but denied the city of Austin’s motion to dismiss.

San Marcos Record

(512) 392-2458
P.O. Box 1109, San Marcos, TX 78666