During a hearing in Flagler County this week, defendant Jamier Lee-Bright was sentenced to a year and a half in Florida State Prison, as well as 42 months of probation. Lee-Bright will also be placed on the animal abuse registry. He will have no contact with any animals, must complete a mental health evaluation and a recommended treatment plan. He must also relinquish his gun to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. The sentencing came on month after he had pleaded guilty to Felony Cruelty to Animals and Tampering with Physical Evidence.
Sherriff’s deputies were dispatched to the defendant’s Palm Coast residence on April 2, 2022, after several neighbors called 911 to report gunshots. Lee-Bright was observed using a hose to spray his back patio in an effort to remove blood as the search for the house began. In the backyard, deputies also discovered a freshly dug hole.
The defendant eventually confessed to deputies that he shot his family’s 1-year-old puppy in the head after he allegedly bit his fiancee. Deputies were on scene for two hours before Lee-Bright informed them that the canine was still alive and secured in his crate.
Deputies found the dog, named Rocky, in his crate with two gunshot wounds to the head and shoulder. Lee-Bright’s fiancee received no injuries from the alleged incident that caused the shooting.
As for Rocky, he had surgery and made a full recovery. He was adopted by Hayden Ore, a Crime Analyst in FCSO’s Real Time Crime Center, and his wife, who say Rocky has shown no signs of aggression and has been a wonderful addition to their family.
“Justice has finally been served to Rocky’s shooter,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Lashing out against your pet is never the right answer. Thankfully Rocky is now living happily with Analyst Ore and his wife and no longer has to live in fear.”
“It is miraculous that Rocky survived two gunshot wounds,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said of this case. “There is no doubt he suffered greatly. Rocky has a loving home and the defendant is behind bars. A fitting end to a disturbing crime.”
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. Associate State Attorney Tara Libby successfully prosecuted d the case for the State. The case was overseen by the Honorable Terence Perkins, who pronounced the sentence.
