Animal cruelty investigation launched after social media video in Xenia

XENIA — The Xenia Police Department has launched an animal cruelty investigation after a recent video posted on Snapchat.

The video shows a person throwing a cat as far and hard as they can into the air, which was then followed by laughter.

Captain Gary Johnson told News Center 7 that the suspect’s identity is not known due to his face being covered in the video through a feature on the app, but believes it is a man who committed the act.

Though the investigation is still ongoing, the police department said they received helpful information on who the subject is after reaching out to social media.

As for the cat in the video, its condition is not currently known.

“The video ends when the animal hits the ground, so we do not know what became of the animal, how injured it was, we do not know the outcome of that,” said Johnson.

Johnson told News Center 7 that the video was in fact taken in Xenia along North Fair Street.

Xenia community members are not happy about the video, including David Mills.

“I take a pretty strong hand when it comes to animal abuse. I think it should be prosecuted to the fullest extent,” Mills said.

Police say that if they do make an arrest, the city prosecutor will review the case to determine if any charges should be filed.

Cox Media Group