In this screenshot of surveillance camera footage, three men are seen firing BB guns at four dogs that were tied up in front of a restaurant in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, on June 8. (Beagle Rescue Network)
In this screenshot of surveillance camera footage, three men are seen firing BB guns at four dogs that were tied up in front of a restaurant in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, on June 8. (Beagle Rescue Network)

Two active-duty Marines and one civilian in their 20s are under investigation for killing one dog and seriously injuring two others with BB guns.

The Geoje Police Station said Wednesday that two active-duty soldiers and one civilian — all unnamed males in their 20s — fired hundreds of BB pellets at four dogs that were tied up in a restaurant yard in a small town in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, on June 8.

Of the four dogs, one died as a result of the attack, while two sustained serious injuries to their eyes and other parts of their bodies.

Police booked the civilian without detention on charges of violation of the Animal Protection Act and trespassing. The two soldiers were transferred back to their unit, and their cases were referred to the military.

The Marine Corps said in a statement released Thursday that it plans to take “strict measures” against the soldiers who allegedly committed the crime while they were on leave. They also expressed condolences to the owners of the dogs.

In these photos shared by the Beagle Rescue Network, a Korean animal rights group, the dogs shot by the two active-duty Marines and a civilian in their 20s, show signs of severe injuries. (Beagle Rescue Network)
In these photos shared by the Beagle Rescue Network, a Korean animal rights group, the dogs shot by the two active-duty Marines and a civilian in their 20s, show signs of severe injuries. (Beagle Rescue Network)

The suspects told the police that the attack was “unintentional” and that they fired the BB guns at the dogs after getting bitten by them. They were staying at a nearby accommodation at the time.

But a police official who obtained surveillance camera footage of the scene said that the video “only showed them trespassing on the restaurant’s yard and shooting BB guns at the dogs that were tied up.” They were unable to find any evidence of the dogs biting them.

In the surveillance footage that went viral online, the three men can be seen throwing rocks at the dogs, flashing lights, and rounding them up before firing BB guns toward them.

According to local reports, the father of one of the suspects visited one of the owners later and said he would “pay off” for his son’s alleged crimes, while the soldiers’ unit called the owner to ask them not to make the case public.

A group of some 3,600 Marine reservists released a statement on Wednesday calling for “stern punishment” on the suspects, while highlighting the need for the military to punitively discharge them from the Marine Corps.


mkjung@heraldcorp.com