SHEFFIELD, Ala. - Was an Alabama man pushed to apologize because of public outrage over a social media post? It sure seems that way.
Both the Sheffield and Florence Police Departments have been searching for Zachary Wade Moore Jr. for over a week. In pictures posted to social media, Moore held what appeared to be a gun to a puppy's head while holding the dog by the scruff of its neck.
Local police wanted to talk with Moore, but it was law enforcement officers in another state who finally caught up with him.
Working on a tip, the Tishomingo County Sheriff’s Office and Belmont Police located Moore over the weekend in Mississippi.
According to Belmont Investigator Donald Ray, Moore was brought in for questioning. This may have prompted a video posted on Facebook by Moore.
“On this dog situation, look world, I’m sorry, it was a mistake. Just me messing around on Facebook and it went way out of control,” Moore said in the posted video.
Belmont Police said Moore told them he had been drinking with friends and was playing around with a toy gun that night at a home in Golden, Mississippi.
The dog, investigators said, was a runaway and didn’t belong to Moore. Deputies recovered it and took it back to its rightful owners.
Investigators who questioned Moore said he kept admitting how stupid he was that night.
“The gun was fake, the dog was never harmed. I would never hurt a dog, animal at that. The gun was fake [throws it down],” Moore said on the video.
Mississippi authorities have not charged Moore with any crimes at this point. However, law enforcement in the Shoals would still like to speak with him.
The video apology by Zachary Wade Moore Jr. had nearly 20,000 plays on Facebook by Monday afternoon.
