Lexington County deputies have arrested a Prosperity man accused of fatally shooting a police dog last week when Newberry County deputies and SLED agents tried to arrest him.

James Robert Peterson, 37, is charged with cruelty to a police dog, breach of peace, possession of a weapon by a person convicted of certain crimes, resisting arrest with a deadly weapon and four counts of pointing and presenting a firearm at a person, according to arrest warrants.

Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said, “We began our investigation of this case the day it happened, June 11, at the request of the two agencies involved.”

He went on to say “In consultation with 8th Judicial Circuit Solicitor David Stumbo, we’ve determined these charges are warranted based on Peterson’s actions during the encounter with Newberry County deputies and SLED agents as they attempted to arrest him on a felony warrant on Gravel Road in Prosperity.”

Peterson failed to follow lawful commands and shot SLED K9 Coba with a shotgun as the dog tried to apprehend him. This is according to Lexington Sheriff Jay Koon.

He said, “The four counts of pointing and presenting a firearm at a person stem from Peterson pointing the shotgun in the direction of four law enforcement officers.”

Sheriff Koon said that since the incident happened in Newberry County, Solicitor Stumbo would be prosecuting the criminal charges against Peterson.