Man Accused Of Kicking Small Dog With Fatal Force

CLEARWATER, FL — The Clearwater Police Department arrested a man on Thursday on a charge of aggravated animal abuse, according to a social media post by the department.

Johnta Smith, 30, is accused of kicking his four-pound dog when it would not go inside his apartment on Fairwood Avenue, the post says. The kick was fatal.

After the incident, police say, he told his girlfriend's 8-year-old child to go inside and get a bag for the dog's body. He then put the dog in the bag and into a garbage can, according to the post.

Clearwater police say he told one of their officers that he "should have picked up the dog instead."

Smith was booked into the Pinellas County Jail.