Accused Forest Hill Dog Shooter to Appear in Court

The man accused of tying a dog to a tree and shooting it at Cleveland Heights' Forest Hill Park will appear in court next week.

Raymone Clements, 42, of Cleveland, has been charged with animal cruelty, discharging a weapon in city limits and having weapons under disability after police say he left the dog for dead Nov. 26.

He will be arraigned in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Jan. 18 at 8:30 a.m.

MORE: Accused Dog Shooter Has Previous Rape Conviction

If convicted on all counts, Clements faces 5 years, 7 and a half months in prision.

Clements is a convicted felon and is not permitted to have a weapon.

His last prison term, after he pleaded guilty in 2006 to rape against victims who were under 13, was five years.

Animal advocacy group the Nitro Foundation has announced on its Facebook page that it will attend the arraignment to raise awareness about their cause.

According to the Facebook page, the group aims to make violence against animals felony offenses in Ohio. Clements' animal cruelty charge is a misdemeanor.

From The Plain Dealer: Dog that was shot and left for dead in park deserves to face his accused shooter in court: Phillip Morris