Conshohocken Police Shoot Dog Belonging to Terrence Howard’s Brother

Left: Antonio Howard, depicted in a 2011 Times Herald video, being taken into police custody following charges that he threatened police with his large dog. He later pleaded guilty to the charges. Right: Terrence Howard at the FOX TV “Empire” Premiere Event on January 6, 2014 in Los Angeles, California | Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com

Back in 2011, Conshohocken resident Antonio Howard — also known as the brother of actor Terrence Howard — pleaded guilty to threatening Conshohocken police with his large dog when police responded to a domestic disturbance at Howard’s home. And now Conshohocken police tell us that they shot and killed that same dog, which was on the loose in Howard’s neighborhood near the 900 block of Wood Street.

The incident occurred on Saturday, May 2nd, just after 9 a.m. Howard’s dog, which Conshohocken Police lieutenant George Metz describes as “very aggressive,” was roaming around the area, making neighbors very nervous. So police showed up and tried to contain it.

Metz says that they were unable to get a dog stick — one of those long poles with a lasso on the end of it — around the dog’s neck. Police used a Taser on the dog, but the Taser leads broke off of the huge animal, rendering the Taser useless. After that, the dog ran into Lenny’s Italian Deli on Fayette Street, which was occupied by workers and customers. Everyone ran out of the store, and police shot the dog.

“They did everything they could to stop from shooting him,” insists Metz. “It was a decision that was finally made, because something bad was most definitely going to happen. This was a serious dog.”

In the reports from 2011, the dog was described as a 100-pound mastiff. But Metz says that the dog is now about 170 pounds, and he believes it to be a Cane Corso — not a mastiff. But, says Metz, it is the same animal involved in the 2011 arrest, and there have been complaints about the dog running loose and being aggressive over the last few years.

According to Metz, Howard, whom he describes as an “interesting character,” was nowhere to be found during this latest incident, and his grown son was taking care of the dog. Or, perhaps, not taking care of the dog.

Metz says that there won’t be any charges for Howard this time.

“We shot his dog,” Metz explains. “What are we going to do, give him a ticket?”

(h/t More Than the Curve)