Hampton sheriff’s lieutenant tied to animal cruelty case, police say

HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — A lieutenant with the Hampton Sheriff’s Office has been tied to an animal cruelty case that involved dogfighting, police said.

On Thursday afternoon, police said Carolyn Johnson has been charged with eight counts of failure to provide duties of ownership and eight counts of animal cruelty. A city spokesperson confirmed Carolyn has been with the sheriff’s office since 1999.

She’s since been placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation, the sheriff’s office said.

This announcement comes two days after the Hampton Animal Response Team, or HART, arrested Johnson’s husband, 59-year-old Michael Johnson, after being dispatched for an animal complaint on Ireland Street near Phoebus High School. They charged him with eight counts of animal cruelty, eight counts of failure to provide duties of ownership and four counts of dogfighting.

According the police, all of Carolyn’s charges are misdemeanors, while two of Michael’s dogfighting charges are felonies.

During the course of the investigation, police said HART officers located eight dogs that were in poor health and unsafe conditions. The canines were removed from the home by HART, and are currently in the care of the Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter.

The investigation is ongoing.