SEBASTIAN, Fla. — An Indian River County man is under arrest, accused of threatening to beat an Animal Control Officer with a baseball bat.
According to the Sebastian Police Department, the officer responded to a home at 443 Tunison Lane on Jan. 22 for an animal welfare check.
The Animal Control Officer said he noticed a kennel in the backyard, and tried to reach someone at the front door and side garage door, but no one answered.
Police said the officer went to the rear of the property, where he saw five dogs in pens. All had water and appeared to be in good condition.
According to his arrest report, 42-year-old Eric George Forster then came out of the house and started yelling obscenities at the officer and demanded he leave.
The officer called police and returned to his vehicle. He said Forster grabbed a black baseball bat and started to walk toward him with "an apparent attitude of attack" and said "he was going to beat his brains in."
Police said Forster got within feet of the officer, who was in fear of his life.
According to Sebastian police, Forster told them the Animal Control Officer was "messing around with his dogs." Forster claimed the officer did not knock on his door.
Police said Forster admitted to grabbing his baseball bat, which he referred to as a "N-word Knocker," because he claimed the officer was trespassing on his property.
Sebastian police said while they were on scene, they witnessed Forster make a comment that he would shoot the Animal Control Officer.
According to his arrest report, Forster said, "if Marshall Law was to be allowed, he wanted Jeff's head on a stick along with his family's heads as well."
Police took Forster into custody. He's now facing a charge of aggravated assault on a code inspector.
