A Rockdale County sheriff’s deputy was found not guilty in an animal cruelty trial Thursday following the death of his dogs in 2022.
Eric Tolbert, who was part of the K-9 unit, was indicted on three counts of felony aggravated cruelty to animals and two counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals in January. But four months later, a jury found him not guilty on all counts, a spokesperson for the Rockdale County Superior Court confirmed.
The indictment accused Tolbert of providing inadequate “sanitary conditions and ventilation” in June 2022 for three dogs he owned. The deputy was also previously accused of not providing sanitary conditions that same month for two other canines that survived.
Tolbert was subsequently removed from the K-9 unit in August and placed on administrative leave while the investigation took its course. The deputy’s K-9 was found to be in good condition and the dog was reassigned to a different handler, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office confirmed Friday that Tolbert remains a deputy and will return to active duty.
The investigation was opened in July after Tolbert posted on social media about his three dogs dying from heat exhaustion. A search warrant executed at his property revealed unsanitary living conditions and improper disposal of the canines that violated state law, according to the sheriff’s office.
An internal administrative investigation found Tolbert violated two sheriff’s office policies: code of conduct to abide by all laws, and the canine handler conduct. He received a 32-hour suspension without pay and was reassigned to the jail division.
Investigators attempted to arrest Tolbert and charge him with animal cruelty soon after the search, but the sheriff’s office said judges refused to sign the warrant. The judges said there was lack of probable cause and a conflict of interest since the GBI should have been investigating the case, authorities said.
The District Attorney’s Office also previously cited a lack of evidence and declined to prosecute the case at that time, the sheriff’s office added.
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