Atlanta man arrested over cruel, deadly beating of dog caught on camera

Mekhi Jackson, 19, was arrested on March 17 and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, and was released on bond according to jail documents.

According to Fox 5, a Ring doorbell captured the attack, allegedly showing Jackson chasing the dog and then punching it. Moments later, Jackson grabbed the dog by its head and threw it against a wall. Later, Jackson was allegedly seen chasing the dog up the stairs.

Detectives believe the incident occurred at the highlands of East Atlanta apartment complex on Flat Shoals Road. DeKalb County police confirmed on March 17 that the dog was found deceased.

Claudine Wilkins, founder of the Animal Protection Society and Animal Law Source, told Fox 5, "It looked very scared, and petrified, and was trying to escape, and obviously wasn't able to escape."

"Anyone that injures an animal with intent and malice, such as we see in this video, can be charged with animal cruelty aggravated," she said. "So, that's a felony provision in our state law."

"No matter what the victim is, and in this case it's an animal, a crime has been committed," she said. "Regardless of how anyone feels about animals, when a crime is committed, the police should take action because that's their duty."

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jackson was previously arrested in January 2022 in connection to a drive-by shooting outside of McNair High School. Jackson reportedly served as the getaway driver for a 15-year-old shooter, police said.

Jackson was booked into DeKalb County jail six days after the shooting, being charged with three felony counts of aggravated assault, and was released on bond two days later.

The case is still open in DeKalb’s Superior Court.