In Newport Tennessee the police raided an illegal cockfight and arrested 144 people attending what may have been one of the largest such gatherings in the nation.
SWAT teams, helicopters and dozens of state troopers participated in the raid on Saturday on the Del Rio Cockfight Pit. They seized about $40 grand in cash and killed more than 300 roosters. I do not get why they killed the birds.
The 144 were each charged with being a spectator to cockfighting, a misdemeanor in Tennessee. If convicted, they face up to 12 months in the slammer and a $2,500 fine.
John Goodwin, of the Humane Society of the United States, who took part in the raid, said it served notice on those conducting such illegal operations. "I wouldn't want to be a cockfighter in East Tennessee right now,"
David Webb, a gamecock owner, said he lost more than 20 chickens valued at $150 each during the raid. "I've been around this stuff all my life. Everything I've ever known is a chicken fight,"
No comments:
Post a Comment