A South Carolina man was arrested late last week after deputies found a tortured dog named Asher screwed into a doorframe.
Tyler Austin Jerdo, 22, stands accused of one count each of ill treatment of animals (torture), resisting arrest, escape, and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
According to a report by Spartanburg, S.C.-based CBS affiliate WSPA, the Union County Sheriff’s Office relayed the circumstances leading up to, and including, the defendant’s arrest in substantial detail.
The sheriff’s office says a county employee flagged down a deputy on Friday, Feb. 25, 2022 after having just left the Jerdo residence. That employee allegedly told law enforcement the defendant was “under the influence of something strong” and that the man’s dog was screwed to the wall of the bathroom–which was allegedly barricaded.
Multiple deputies and animal control officers responded to the location and were allegedly met by Jerdo’s mother, who owns the property, and allowed them access when they requested to enter.
Inside, deputies say, they found a horrific display of animal cruelty.
Asher, a 5-month-old puppy, was visible behind a large pile of items, according to one deputy, and so was the poor animal’s perilous state: one of his paws was screwed to the frame of the bathroom door.
Law enforcement began removing the items to access the dog and removed the screw from his paw with a drill. Still, the bathroom door would not open, so a deputy went around the side of the house, removed a screen from a window and climbed into the bathroom.
Journalist Sydney Broadus describes the horrific scene:
The deputy could see the dog through the window and said it was still alive, but it was extremely tired and limp. They entered through the bathroom window to help remove the dog. However, after further examination, the deputies saw the dog had a second screw in his paw inside the door frame.
According to the UCSO, the second screw could not be removed from the paw, however, because it was too deep and the head of the screw couldn’t be accessed, so the dog’s paw was pulled through the screw.
Asher was then placed into a deputy’s car.
Eventually, a truck driven by the defendant pulled into the driveway. As Jerdo exited the vehicle, deputies say they alerted him that he was under arrest. The defendant allegedly began to argue and a deputy admittedly placed hands on the suspect, which allegedly prompted Jerdo to begin resisting arrest.
After an alleged scuffle with multiple members of law enforcement, during which the defendant was tased twice, Jerdo was handcuffed and placed inside of a deputy’s vehicle. But allegedly not for long.
According to the UCSO, some deputies then went back inside the house to collect additional evidence when they heard a scream from outside. Jerdo had allegedly escaped from the back of the car and was trying to flee the scene entirely but was being held back by other deputies. During this second go-round, the defendant allegedly head-butted a deputy in their forehead before he was finally subdued.
Jerdo is currently being detained in the Union County Detention Center without bond.
According to Greenville, S.C.-based Fox affiliate WHNS, the dog, which appears to be some kind of a pit bull, pit bull mix, or similar breed, is currently recovering at a local animal clinic.
[images: Asher via Union County Animal SC Animal Shelter/Facebook; Tyler Austin Jerdo via Union County Detention Center]
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