Raymone "Ramone" ClementsCleveland.com reports
A Cleveland man accused of shooting a dog tied to a tree in Cleveland Heights was sentenced today in federal court to almost 23 years in prison on related firearms charges.
At the end of a four-day trial in April, a jury took 45 minutes to convict the 42-year-old tattoo artist of being a felon in illegal possession of a gun and ammunition.
The two firearms charges stemmed from accusations that Clements tied a bullmastiff to a tree in a Cleveland Heights park last November and then fired four shots at the dog, striking the animal twice.
At today's hearing, Clements denied that the gun and ammunition belonged to him and blamed a friend for shooting the dog.
Clements has spent 16 years in prison for two rapes, aggravated robbery, drug trafficking, drug possession and receiving stolen property.
Maybe we should give this guy the same benefit of the doubt many people are giving George Zimmerman. After all those years in prison, perhaps he's learned his lesson. Maybe his friend really did shoot the dog. And let's face it, no one should be punished for exercising his god-given, basic-human, 2nd-amendment-protected right to own a gun.
What do you think? Please leave a comment.
