Snapchat video of man killing deer with a hammer leads to arrest, Michigan agency says

A man was arrested after a “disturbing” video of him killing a deer with a hammer circulated on Facebook, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

An off-duty DNR officer was told by a relative about the video Wednesday evening, a news release from the agency said. The Snapchat video showed a man, by a highway north of Potterville, Michigan, repeatedly striking a buck in the head with a hammer until it was dead, according to the release.

About an hour after seeing the video, the officer tracked downthe suspect at a friend’s house and confronted him, the release said. The man “fully confessed” and told the officer that he killed the deer because it was “disoriented from a recent car-deer accident,” so he “put the deer out of its misery,” according to the news release.

The release said the video started “with the deer standing upright on the road ... blinded by headlights.”

“Words of encouragement and laughter can be heard throughout the video, which lasts less than a minute,” the release said.

The man told the officer he and his friends put the deer in their vehicle and drove off, passing an officer on their way home, according to the release.

The man surrendered the deer’s carcass and severed head to the officer, the release said.

Authorities did not identify the man because he has not been charged, but said hiscase will go to the Eaton County Prosecutor’s Office to consider potential charges, according to the release.

This story was originally published November 13, 2020 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Snapchat video of man killing deer with a hammer leads to arrest, Michigan agency says."