All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of animal cruelty. Reader caution advised.
(Dubois, WY) – Fremont County man Cole Littlewhiteman, 34, faces three cruelty to animals felony charges for a July 27th incident.
On July 28th, The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) obtained video footage of Littlewhiteman allegedly kicking, punching, tasing, and whipping the same horse over the course of 14 video clips.
The video clips reportedly show the following to have occurred:
- Littlewhiteman kicking/stomping the horse on the head while it was laying on the ground, shouting expletives at it.
- Littlewhiteman delivering a drive stun from “what appears to be a handheld stun gun” to the horse’s face and neck area while yelling at it.
- Littlewhiteman delivering multiple drive stuns to the horse’s upper neck area while it was tied to the ground, telling it to “get up.” The report states, “Each time he delivered a stun, the horse struggled. It was very obvious the horse could not get up based on how it was tied.”
- A clip of the horse receiving more drive stuns to the neck area while Littlewhiteman again shouts expletives at it, with the report stating, “Each time he delivered a stun, the horse would struggle but could not get up.”
- A clip of the horse still tied to the ground, “but with enough slack so the horse could get up if it wanted,” breathing heavy and in a state of confusion as Littlewhiteman began repeatedly kicking it in the head and nose area with his boot. “The horse tries to move his head out of the way and closes its eyes while being struck,” the report states.
- Another clip of Littlewhiteman riding the horse, using a “three foot chain with a leather strap to hit the horse in the face and right flank over and over.”
- Various clips of Littlewhiteman using a different chain to hit the horse in the face while he rides it.
The report concludes by stating, “During the course of these video clips, Littlewhiteman whips, kicks, punches, and yells at the horse in torture and torment of the horse in an aggressive manner, causing undue suffering.”
Littlewhiteman’s preliminary hearing was waived, and the case was moved to District Court, with an arraignment date scheduled for August 31st.
The maximum penalty for a cruelty to animal felony charge is two years imprisonment, and a $5,000 fine.
County 10 will provide more information on the case as it becomes available, which can be found here.