Singer and actor Tyrese Gibson was arrested on Friday after he turned himself in on an animal cruelty charge. The “Fast and Furious” star was subsequently released on a $20,000 surety bond the same day.
Per jail records, Gibson’s arrest was for a cruelty to animals charge he received in relation to his neighbor’s dog being mauled to death by some of his animals. According to NBC News, on Sept. 18, four of Gibson’s Cane Corso dogs were seen running through a neighborhood where they attacked and killed a neighbor’s 5-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Henry.
At the time, Henry’s owner let the dog outside around 10 p.m. to go to the bathroom. When the owner returned minutes later, they found their pet wounded and bloodied in their driveway.
NBC News reported that earlier that evening, a woman told animal control she was unable to get to her car because four Cane Corsos were at her door. After animal control officer escorted the woman to her vehicle, a friend of Gibson’s later retrieved the dogs.
Representation for Gibson, attorney Gabe Banks, who reportedly admitted that he thinks the dogs were responsible for Henry’s death, issued a statement on the matter.
“Mr. Tyrese Gibson wishes to extend his deepest condolences to the family who lost their beloved dog in this tragic incident,” the message read, which mentioned that Gibson was out of town when the incident occurred. “His heart is truly broken, and he has been praying for the family constantly, hoping they may one day find it in their hearts to forgive him.”
Gibson himself also issued a statement in the same post saying, “After nearly 40 years of being a passionate dog lover—raising everything from Pomeranians, Yorkies, Shih Tzus, Maltese, to larger breeds like Shar Peis—my dogs have only ever been treated as family. They’ve never been trained to harm, never spent a single day in attack or protection training, and they’ve grown up playing with kids and smaller dogs in my home.”
He continued: “That’s why this incident has left me shocked, devastated, and heartbroken for the family affected. As an empath, my heart hurts deeply for their unimaginable loss, and I’ve been trying to reach out directly to express my sorrow and condolences.”
While Gibson initially refused to turn over the dogs to Fulton County police and animal control, he shared that two of the dogs have been placed in new homes.
