A Lake Charles man was found guilty Thursday of injuring a police animal and resisting an officer.

A six-man jury found Gerald Brent Debarge, 47, guilty of injuring a police animal, and Judge Michael Canaday found him guilty of resisting an officer.

Debarge is to be sentenced Feb. 1.

Debarge was also charged with stalking and violating a protective order, but elected on Tuesday to have the charges separated.

In opening statements Tuesday, prosecutor Tara Hawkins said that it was while an arrest warrant was being served that Debarge accumulated the injuring a police animal and resisting an officer charges.

She said he double-bolted himself in his apartment, then punched and bashed the dog when it bit him on the arm.

Debarge said in opening statements that he did what anyone would do to get “unbit.”

Debarge represented himself, but will be represented by the Public Defender’s Office in the future, said Jay Dixon, head of the PDO.

The District Attorney’s Office does not plan to prosecute Debarge on the stalking charge, according to spokeswoman Holly Carter.

Dixon said the violation of a protective order will be heard before Canaday in March.

(MGNonline)

Gerald B. Debarge