Warrant issued for man accused of kicking Seattle dog to death, new felony charges filed

Man speaks out after his dog is killed in random attack

SEATTLE - The man accused of kicking a stranger's dog so hard that it died is now facing felony charges in connection to the incident.

On Saturday, 67-year-old John Hickey was walking his 14-year-old dog, Alice, in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood when he was approached by a man, later identified as Courtney Williams. Williams allegedly demanded Hickey's jacket but backed off when he was threatened with pepper spray by Hickey.

Willaims wasn't finished, court documents said.

"I heard pounding of feet and I turned around and he was running full speed at us and I didn't have time to really do anything. I had her on the leash and he came running towards her, knocked me down and he kicked her so hard that she went up in the air and started hemorrhaging," Hickey explained.

Alice died in Hickey's arms.

On Tuesday, a judge ultimately decided not to set bail and released the 29-year-old suspect.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office asked Judge Marcus Naylor to hold him on $25,000 bail, but Judge Naylor released the man on his own recognizance a day after his arrest.

Seattle Police objected to the man's release, saying his "escalating behavior will continue."

However, after Williams did not return to court for his second appearance, a warrant was issued for his arrest on two felony counts: first-degree attempted theft and first-degree animal cruelty.

First-degree animal cruelty is the most serious animal cruelty charge that can be filed in Washington State (aside from aggravating factors such as sexual motivation or animal fighting, which are not present in this case), according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

Williams remains at-large.

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