ATLANTA (Court TV/AP) — Tyrese Gibson was booked into an Atlanta jail on Friday and quickly released on bond, authorities told Court TV.
An arrest warrant was issued for the “Fast & Furious” actor because his four Cane Corso dogs allegedly mauled and killed a neighbor’s dog in Georgia in mid-September, police said Tuesday.
Tyrese Gibson is seen in a booking photo after his arrest for cruelty to animals. (Fulton County Sheriff’s Office)
Fulton County Police Captain Nicole Dwyer confirmed Gibson was booked into the jail on Friday at 5:59 a.m. on a charge of cruelty to animals and released on a $20,000 surety bond. Dwyer also said authorities do not have Gibson dogs.
Gibson’s lawyer, Gabe Banks, wrote to Court TV and the AP Friday that his legal team secured a consent bond, meaning the terms of his bond were set before he voluntarily turned himself in. Banks wrote Gibson “has cooperated fully with legal authorities and will continue to do so until this matter is resolved.”
Banks had previously told AP that the actor wasn’t home when the incident took place and “immediately made the difficult decision to rehome his dogs to a safe and loving environment,” including two adult dogs and their three puppies.
A search warrant for the “Fast & Furious” actor’s property was issued alongside the arrest warrant days after the Sept. 18 incident, when the dogs attacked a small spaniel owned by a neighbor about a half a mile away from Gibson’s house. The dog was rushed to a veterinary hospital, but did not survive, Dwyer said.
The dogs were seen on camera minutes later at the next-door neighbor’s house, where the owner called police to report she couldn’t reach her car because of the animals. Animal control officers responded and were able to keep the dogs back while the neighbor went to her vehicle.
Gibson had initially told police he would surrender his dogs on Sept 22, but when officers arrived, he said he needed a few more days, according to a police press release.
Gibson posted a video to Instagram that included various clips of his dogs early Monday and reposted it the following day with a statement from him and his lawyer. Banks wrote Gibson had dealt with stalkers for years, and “his only motivation in bringing these dogs into his life was to protect his family and provide peace of mind.”
Banks added the dogs weren’t “trained to be vicious,” and “had never harmed a child, a person, or another dog. This tragic event is shocking and traumatizing for him and his family — and he can only imagine how devastating it has been for the family who lost their pet.”
“I had no idea I would ever wake up to this nightmare, and I know the family must feel the same way. To them, please know that my heart is broken for you,” Gibson said in the statement. “I am praying for your healing and for your beloved pet, who never deserved this. I remain committed to facing this matter with honesty, responsibility, and compassion.”
