What to Know
- Ex-correction officer is facing litany of charges in connection to the shooting of a raccoon in his Queens backyard, prosecutors say
- Anthony Greaves, 34 and a Queens resident, was handed a five-count indictment charging him with first- and second- degree crimes
- According to prosecutors, after the alleged shooting, Greaves tried to cover-up the crime
A former New York state correction officer is facing a litany of charges in connection to the shooting of a raccoon in a backyard and an attempt to cover-up the incident, prosecutors say.
Anthony Greaves, 34 and a Queens resident, was handed a five-count indictment charging him with first- and second- degree reckless endangerment, third-degree falsely reporting an incident, fourth-degree criminal mischief and over driving, torturing or injuring an animal Acting Queens District Attorney John M. Ryan announced Tuesday.
Greaves, who was a correction officer at the time of the alleged incident, was released on his own recognizance and ordered to return to court Oct. 2.
If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison.
Attorney information for Greaves was not immediately known.
According to the charges, on Sept. 25, 2018, at around 10 p.m., an eyewitness heard multiple gunshots and saw several muzzle flashes coming from Greaves' backyard. The gunshots seemed to have been fired in the direction of a raccoon that was seen on a fence separating Greaves' property and a neighboring home, prosecutors say.
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The raccoon disappeared, but left behind what prosecutors described as “tell-tale signs” it had been hit, including small amounts of blood. The fate of the raccoon allegedly shot is unknown.
According to prosecutors, no one else was injured, as a result of Greaves alleged actions, but at least one bullet did hit a neighboring garage.
Additionally, prosecutors say that during the subsequent police investigation into the shooting, Greaves allegedly tried to cover-up the incident and told police that a burglar attempted to break into his home and that was why he fired his weapon. However, he later backtracked and said, “I was shooting a raccoon. I emptied my clip; there were eight rounds,” according to prosecutors.
In a statement, Ryan said: “The defendant in this case is accused of endangered the well-being of everybody in the area that day. The then-New York State correction officer allegedly fired several shots at a neighborhood raccoon and then tried to cover up the act by stating he was aiming at a burglar. Police responded to investigate what they thought was a burglary. The false report wasted resources. This is certainly not the way a law enforcement officer should behave. The defendant is now facing prison time.”
