Ezekiel Elliot’s dad investigated over exotic cat shot dead by cops
By Adam SchraderOctober 16, 2019 | 7:10pm | Updated
Ezekiel Elliott’s dad could be in a pawful lot of trouble.
An African wild cat believed to be owned by the Cowboys star’s father terrorized his Ohio neighborhood before it was shot dead by deputies, it was revealed Wednesday.
The midsized, spotted feline — a breed called a serval that can stand 2 feet at the shoulder and weigh up to 40 pounds — was first seen by neighbors on Saturday.
Jim Zuber and another neighbor watched the leopard-spotted pet roam his front yard, according to WBNS-10TV.
“We thought we were keeping an eye on it, and the truth is it was more stalking us,” Zuber said.
Zuber said it had a pet collar on but looked like it wanted to pounce.
“It was kind of creeping towards us, and as we took a step backward, it would take steps toward us and when we made noise to shush it away, it hunched back in a position to leap forward,” he told NBC 4.
Neighbor Kim Oskin told WBNS-10TV that she picked up her daughters from a friend’s house after parents texted each other warnings the cat was on the prowl.
Fairfield County Sheriff’s deputies responded Sunday, shooting and felling the feline after it attacked a neighborhood dog.
“I don’t know how long it had been out [or] when it had last eaten, but over time they’re going to resort back to their normal behaviors,” Chief Deputy Lape told WBNS-10TV.
Ohio Department of Agriculture executed a search warrant at Stacy Elliott’s home Wednesday morning looking for evidence of an unpermitted serval.
“There are no charges yet — but serval cats do need to be permitted. There is no permit in Fairfield County for a serval cat,” spokesperson Shelby Croft told The Post.
Elliott could face a fifth-degree felony charge if investigators determine he let the “dangerous wild animal” out intentionally — and a first-degree misdemeanor for not having the animal permitted, Croft said.
Investigators did not remove any evidence from the premises but took pictures for their investigation, Croft said. The warrant included Elliot’s phone and computer, but officials said they were not searched.
A person could face a fifth-degree felony charge if investigators determined a “dangerous wild animal” was let out intentionally — and a first-degree misdemeanor for not having them permitted, Croft said.
There have been no prior violations at the location, Croft said, and the investigation is ongoing.
Ezekiel Elliott has also faced his share of legal trouble. The Cowboys running back was handcuffed in May after shoving a security guard at a Las Vegas music festival. He was also suspended from the NFL in 2018 following a yearlong investigation into domestic violence allegations by his ex-girlfriend Tiffany Thompson.
Here is the kicker though - she was from Granger and her parents had awesome season tickets that they were happy to give to us. So, I played the game until the season ended because I wasn't giving up those great seats.