A Kingsport man is facing charges after being accused of killing a cat he had trapped.
According to a Kingsport Police report, officers were called to the 100 block of West Sevier Avenue.
The caller stated on May 24, 2019, they saw Philip Mainer, 62, take a cat he had trapped to the back of the property.
The witness said Mainer shot the cat “five or six times with a ‘bb or airsoft gun.’” She then confronted Mainer, who told the witness he did not want to kill the cat but when he tried to let it out of the cage, it was mean.
The witness stated that they believed the cat belonged to a neighbor, but they weren’t home when she went to notify them of what happened.
The woman told police that by the time she got back, Mainer had “somehow disposed of the cat.”
Officers tried to make contact with Mainer, but he would not answer the door or phone.
According to police records, no dead cat was found in the area.
Court documents show Mainer is now charged with one count of aggravated animal cruelty. Mainer is due in Sullivan County General Sessions Court on July 30.
