PAWNEE — A Mannford man is facing a felony animal cruelty charge in Pawnee County District Court. Court records show Jason Troy Bradley has charges stemming from allegations that he killed two dogs while he was serving as the Jennings Police Department chief.
Oklahoma State Bureau Investigation Public Information Officer Hunter McKee confirmed that OSBI investigated the case and that Bradley had turned himself in on the charges. In an affidavit from investigator OSBI Special Agent Ethan Pixler, it is stated Bradley was serving as Jennings police chief and a reserve deputy with the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office at the time of the alleged June 15 incident.
Pixler states in the affidavit that at the time of the incident Bradley was notified that dogs were loose in the town of Jennings and that one had been caught in a live trap. Bradley reportedly drove his police vehicle behind a gray cattle dog to an address on 7th Street and secured the gate after the dog entered the property.
Pixler reports that Bradley later saw the dog outside the fenced yard once again and returned it to the property. This time, Pixler notes that Bradley knocked on the side of the trailer but no one answered.
“Bradley later returned and saw two gray cattle dogs outside the fenced yard and loaded them into his Jennings police vehicle, and did not attempt to locate the dogs’ owner,” Pixler stated.
The affidavit alleges Bradley then took the two dogs to the Jennings pound where he shot both dogs with his duty pistol near the back of their heads and instructed public works employees to bury them.
“Bradley encountered [dogs’ owner] at the Jennings City Hall and told her to put her dogs away, but did not tell her that he had killed the dogs,” said Pixler.
The allegations contained in the affidavit have not yet been proven in court, therefore, Bradley is presumed innocent unless proven guilty under federal law.
Town council special meeting minutes from June 22 revealed Bradley had submitted a resignation to the Jennings Town Council but council members rejected it and instead voted to terminate his employment. During the same meeting the mayor was authorized to appoint an interim police chief in lieu of the board’s approval. According to reports from KJRH, former Pawnee County Sheriff Darrin Varnell was noted to be serving as the interim police chief.
Jennings Town Clerk Micah Kilpatrick stated Bradley has not worked for Jennings in any capacity since being terminated.
The case against Bradley was filed on Sept. 10 and a $25,000 arrest warrant was issued that same day. Court records show an appearance bond was filed on Sept. 11, followed by an order of release. Bradley appeared in court Sept. 15, at which point the matter was continued to a preliminary hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. on Oct. 6.