Left: Tyler McMillan appears in a booking photo. Right: The stapler allegedly used to kill two ducklings. (Tulsa Police Department)
An Oklahoma man was arrested on Thursday for using a "staple gun" to attack and critically wound two ducklings in a shocking case of animal cruelty, according to law enforcement in the Sooner State.
Tyler McMillan stands accused of two counts of animal cruelty and one count each of unlawful disposal of a dead animal, assault and battery on a police officer, and obstructing or interfering with a police officer, according to Tulsa County jail records reviewed by Law&Crime.
He now faces over a decade in county jail.
Tulsa Animal Welfare alerted the public to the incident on Monday – in social media posts, identifying a gold-colored Infiniti G35 with tinted headlights and taillights near the 1200 block of North Utica Avenue on the northwest side of town. At the scene, the driver could be seen in surveillance footage throwing a box out the moving car's window, investigators with the Tulsa Police Department alleged.
Officials opened the box to find a horror show.
"Inside the box were two ducklings, shot with a staple gun through the neck, head, and legs," the animal welfare group said on Facebook. "Both animals were critically wounded and died a few hours later."
Tulsa Animal Welfare Colton Jones spoke about the sad discovery with Tulsa-based CBS affiliate KOTV.
"The ducklings were very small; they were newborn ducklings, so someone had to restrain them to do this, which to us is disturbing," he said. "One was deceased when we picked it up. The other one was critically injured and taken to the shelter but only survived a couple of hours once we got it back here."
Jones said his agency had investigators working on the case – and stressed the necessity of going after people who harm animals.
"We're actively investigating it, so if any leads are generated, we're actively pursuing them, and then we'll follow up with the district attorney's office with the results of our investigation and present that information to have formal charges filed," the animal advocate said. "They may have done it before, but there is a possibility that without a repercussion, someone may do it again, and that's what we are really here to stop."
Days later, the TPD announced McMillan's arrest – attributing the progress to work with animal control investigators and public tips.
Police also highlighted the extent of the violence.
"One was dead when the box was found, and the other had to be euthanized," the TPD wrote on Facebook. "As part of the investigation, an X-ray was performed on the ducklings, and multiple staples can clearly be seen penetrating the head and skull of the deceased fowl."
Police say they somehow identified McMillan as the driver of the car – but did not elaborate on what led to that conclusion.
"While in custody, McMillan threw an e-cigarette at one of the officers, adding to his list of potential charges," the TPD's press release continues. "Officers got permission to search McMillan's home and found a cage with fowl droppings, poultry feed, a staple gun with staples, and a feeder.
Notably, the TPD and animal welfare agency have described the attack on the animals as having been perpetuated with a staple gun, however, an image supplied by law enforcement identifies what appears to be a standard office stapler as a "staple gun."
The defendant is detained in the Tulsa County jail on $10,000 bond. He is slated to appear in court on Oct. 11.