Man alleged witches told him to throw dog off of a bridge

Spartanburg, South Carolina: On Monday, October 3, officers were called to a bridge where a witness reported seeing a man throw a canine into the water below.

The man, later identified as 43-year-old Shannon Lee Cantrell, is reported to have thrown the dog off of the bridge to the water below twice.

The fall was measured to be 34 feet. While "clearly shaken by the incident" the 1-year-old dog was reported to not have any visible injuries and was transferred to Greenville County Animal Care for assessment.

When officers first contacted Cantrell, they located him under the bridge with the canine. At the time, he was holding the dog in a chokehold.

Officers reported "Cantrell stated that "witches" told him to throw the dog from the bridge. The dog was thrown twice. Cantrell told officers that he was the owner of the canine and released ownership to Spartanburg County."

He has been charged with animal cruelty and was transported to the Spartanburg County Detention Center. He has since been released from custody.