When William Curtis Everard allegedly shot and killed his neighbor’s dog with a pellet gun, he told authorities he did it because the canine attacked his livestock.
But when police searched the 60-year-old Oxford man’s home on Hummer Lake Road they found a whole lot more than a simple pellet gun.
The Oxford resident reportedly had a large arsenal of firearms, knives and ammunition.
After receiving a report from Oakland County Animal Control about the dog being shot five times, Oakland County Sheriff detectives Ken Alderman and John Robertson along with Deputy Jeff Gerds went to Everard’s home to investigate.
‘We knew he had a felony record and was not supposed to have guns,? said Detective Alderman. ‘So we obtained a search warrant.?
Everard cooperated with the search, even warning the detectives to be careful because there were guns all over the house and some were loaded.
In all, the detectives confiscated 10 shotguns and rifles (including a Chinese AK-47 assault rifle), four handguns, 11 knives, a police scanner, pellet rifle, a passport and more than 5,000 rounds of ammunition.
The guns were found in an upstairs bedroom closet, the crawl space under the stairs in the living room, the upstairs hallway, an unlocked safe and in the kitchen.
‘Ninety percent of the guns were loaded and ready to go,? said Alderman. ‘Several were (models) that have been banned.?
Three of the four handguns confiscated had no registered owners while the other was registered to Everard, according to the report.
Everard told Alderman he used the guns to protect the ducks in his pond from wild animals and stray dogs. He allegedly admitted to the animal control officer he shot the Samoyed five times because the dog had one of the ducks in his mouth.
‘He has about 40 ducks and birds that live near the pond in his yard,? Alderman said.
Everard, a convicted felon with a history of aggravated stalking and previously owning a ‘chop shop? for stolen vehicles, was arrested Friday night and arraigned Saturday at the 52-3 District Court in Rochester on three counts of felony possession of firearms. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison on each count.
Everard is currently being lodged in the Oakland County Jail in lieu of a $50,000 cash bond.
A preliminary exam is set for Monday, Jan. 31.
Because of a 1919 Michigan law that states a person has the right to protect his livestock, Everard was not charged with cruelty to animals for killing the Samoyed.