Former police chief acquitted
CHARLEROI – The former West Pike Run Township police chief is looking to get back both his job and his 14-month-old rottweiler after he was acquitted of animal cruelty charges Tuesday.
Michael Hardesty, 39, of East National Pike, Scenery Hill, was found not guilty of the four animal cruelty charges filed against him last month following a summary trial before District Judge Larry Hopkins.
The decision came just over 12 hours after the West Pike Run supervisors voted unanimously Monday to terminate Hardesty as chief. He was suspended from his job without pay in March. The board also voted to advertise to hire a second part-time officer, said township manager Erin Sakalik. Last month, the board voted to hire Ryan Waggoner as a part-time officer.
Logan Wade, a humane officer for Washington Area Humane Society, went to Hardesty’s home in February after getting a complaint about the dog. Wade said Tammy Sandoval, identified as Hardesty’s estranged girlfriend, allowed him inside the house.
Wade testified that he found one rottweiler living on the home’s main level to be in good condition, but he said the other dog, identified as a female named Etalia, was living in the basement, where there was feces and the smell of urine. He removed Etalia. Wade said the animal weighed 59 pounds and was emaciated, with no noticeable body fat. She has since gained about 10 pounds.
Hardesty’s attorney, Ray Amatangelo, asked Wade if it was Sandoval who made the call to the humane society. Wade responded that it was not her, but he did not identify the tipster.
Wade said when he questioned Sandoval about the registered owner of the dog, she said it was Hardesty. Wade said he could not find a dog license for either animal and had papers from the seller indicating Hardesty was the owner. Amatangelo produced American Kennel Club paperwork showing that Hardesty and Sandoval were co-owners of the animal. Sandoval was not charged in the cruelty case.
Amatangelo asked Wade if he questioned Sandoval as to why she hadn’t cared for the dog, Wade said she responded that Hardesty had reprimanded her when she did. Hardesty testified that he was working 16 hours a day at two jobs, serving as police chief and performing security work for Rice Security. He said he lived at the home with Sandoval, her 17-year-old daughter and his 7-year-old son, but they stayed on different sides of the home.
The former chief said he would stop on lunch breaks to give the dogs food and water, and that he believed Sandoval was caring for the dogs when he was not home.
“I assumed Tammy was doing it,” Hardesty said.
Amatangelo asked Hardesty if he instructed her not to care for the female dog.
“Absolutely not,” Hardesty responded, adding that he would never intentionally harm either dog.
Amatangelo said the four citations for violating the same section of the code constituted double jeopardy. He also argued that there was no indication that Hardesty wantonly or cruelly treated the animal. The attorney said that being negligent is not sufficient to show cruelty. Amatangelo also noted that Wade failed to charge Sandoval as a co-owner of the animal.
Wade countered that no matter how many hours Hardesty worked, caring for the animal was still his responsibility.
Hopkins, in finding Hardesty not guilty, said he believed the dog has a co-owner.
Amatangelo said after Tuesday’s hearing that the matter stems from retaliation over a domestic problem.
Amatangelo said the West Pike supervisors will be contacted about reinstatement. Hardesty also will ask for the animal back from the humane society since the charges were dismissed, the attorney added.