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Man fatally shoots dog in Cromwell while children watch

Police are puzzled about why a local man fatally shot a dog this week in Cromwell as children looked on.

“It doesn’t appear there was any good reason to harm the animal,” Chief Denise Lamontagne said Thursday. “There was no indication he was being attacked by the dog.”

Bardsley Monfilston, 31, was arrested and had his gun and pistol permit taken away, police said. He was charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm, cruelty to animals, first-degree reckless endangerment, breach of peace and interfering with an officer, they said.

Because two children were present, police said he also was charged with two counts of risk of injury to a minor.