Convicted Sex-Offender Gets Jail Time for Killing Neighbour’s Dog in Multnomah County
Gresham, OR: A 54-year-old man from Portland who fatally shot his neighbor’s dog has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Freddie Cleveland Ross Jr. used a .45-caliber pistol to shoot the pit bull in the head when the pit bull and his dog started barking at each other, as reported by police and prosecutors.
According to U.S. District Judge Marco A. Hernandez, he imagined a younger individual, not someone in their 50s, engaging in such behavior.
The incident took place on Jan. 28, 2023, in the 5300 block of North Interstate Avenue.
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As per a probable cause affidavit, Ross visited his neighbor’s apartment with his pit bull. The neighbor also owned a pit bull. When the two dogs started barking at each other, Ross pulled out a semi-automatic pistol and shot the neighbor’s dog in the head, resulting in its death. According to the affidavit, he departed with his dog.
The judge stated that Ross visited the neighbor’s apartment in response to a request for assistance. However, neither prosecutors nor Ross’ lawyer provided further details on that matter, and court records did not mention why Ross visited the apartment or identify the neighbor. The neighbor was absent during the sentencing.
Portland authorities found a lone .45-caliber casing at the location.
Authorities conducted a search of Ross’ apartment on March 10 and confiscated a loaded .45-caliber pistol discovered in his bedroom inside a fanny pack in a laundry hamper, as per court records.
According to the prosecutor, the spent casing found at the shooting scene was fired from the pistol found in Ross’ bedroom, as indicated by ballistic analysis.
Ross, who was under post prison supervision at the time, admitted guilt in October in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Ross has a criminal record that includes convictions for first-degree sexual abuse and sodomy in Washington County in 2006 and first-degree sexual abuse and sexual penetration in Multnomah County in 2006. In 1997, he was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and in 1989, he was convicted of second-degree assault with a gun in Multnomah County, according to court records.
Ross is confronting additional charges in Multnomah County related to the shooting incident. The individual has entered a plea of not guilty to charges of first-degree aggravated animal abuse, first-degree animal abuse, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
