Police say Clairton man drove drunk with dog in bed of pickup trunk
A Clairton man drove drunk in Finleyville with a dog in the bed of his pickup truck Friday evening, according to police.
Robert Kelley Jr., 39, of 540 State Route 885, was charged with misdemeanors for animal cruelty, DUI, disorderly conduct and summary traffic offenses by Monongahela police on Monday.
According to the criminal complaint, Washington County 911 received reports of a man recklessly driving a Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck that had pulled into the Sunoco gas station in Finleyville about 9:10 p.m. Friday.
Police found the truck in the parking lot of the gas station with a cocker spaniel in the bed. Kelley got into the truck and left the gas station onto State Route 88.
According to the complaint, Kelley was swerving while the dog was tossed from side to side in the bed of the truck. Kelley also failed to use a turn signal when he turned into a bar parking lot off Route 88, police said.
Two witnesses at the gas station told police they saw the dog get out of the truck, and Kelley grab the dog by the throat and throw it into the truck “with force.”
Police stopped Kelley in the bar parking lot, and Kelley reportedly told them he had about eight beers. Kelley was asked to exit his vehicle.
“Robert was barely able to maintain his balance. Robert was swaying, he was unsteady on his feet and he could not stand up straight,” the complaint states.
Before police could conduct a Breathalyzer test, they said Kelley began behaving in a “belligerent” manner.
He allegedly yelled homophobic slurs at the police officers, and was “loud and disruptive,” according to the complaint.
Police said the dog was “crying and shaking.” Kelley allegedly told police they could “just put the dog down.”
Kelley was placed in a holding cell at the Peters Township Police Department. Police said they conducted a breathalyzer test, and Kelley registered a 0.198 percent blood-alcohol content.
Kelley was released from the holding cell after sobering up, and the charges against him were issued by summons. The dog was handed over to the Humane Society.