ALBANY, N.Y. - A man was arrested Wednesday outside of the Times Union Center for allegedly beating a cat to death.
Albany Police Department Spokesperson Steve Smith says two officers were standing outside of the TU Center around 12:15 p.m. when a person told them they had just witnessed a man kill a cat.
The witnesses told police the man picked the cat up by the tail and slammed it to the ground four or five times, killing it.
Police confronted the man, 44-year-old James Backus of Cohoes, who said he was walking his dog in the area of State and North Pearl Streets when he saw the cat in the middle of the road.
Backus told the officers that he was in the area to meet up with his girlfriend, who was taking the bar exam in the TU Center at that time. Police say it is alleged that the cat had been hit by a car prior to the incident and was lying in the middle of the road with several injuries.
Smith says it appears it may have been Backus' attempt to "put the cat out of its misery." He placed the cat in a city garbage can after the incident.
NEWS10 spoke with James Lathrop who works near Pearl and State Streets. He claimed to be one of the numerous witnesses who saw the alleged attack. He says Backus was smiling while allegedly swung the cat by the tail and beat its head on the pavement. Lathrop said Backus appeared to be "enjoying it."
Backus was arrested and charged with Aggravated Cruelty to Animals, a felony, and released on his own recognizance.
The dog with Backus was released to the custody of Backus' girlfriend.
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