Video: Up To 44 Years for Man in Fatal Pittsburgh Police Dog Stabbing
A man convicted of fatally stabbing Pittsburgh police K-9 Rocco has been sentenced to 17 years, 9 months to 44 years in prison.
March 10, 2015
A man convicted of fatally stabbing a Pittsburgh police dog has been sentenced to 17 years, 9 months to 44 years in prison, reports WPXI .
A judge said Tuesday that John Lewis Rush must also serve 8 years of probation following his release.
Rush was convicted in December of torturing a police animal; aggravated assault on the dog's handler, Officer Phil Lerza, and three other officers; and other offenses.
The incident prompted state lawmakers to stiffen the penalty for harming police animals.