Cops: Man throws dog off DeKalb County exit ramp, causing its death

A man threw a small dog off an I-20 East exit ramp in DeKalb County on Wednesday afternoon and the dog later died as a result of its injuries, police said.

Several witnesses on the scene observed the man, identified as 48-year-old Michael Copeland pick up the dog and toss it on the highway near Wesley Chapel Road, DeKalb police spokeswoman Shiera Campbell said in a statement.

He was taken into custody on the scene on a charge of animal cruelty and is being held in the DeKalb County Jail, according to police.