BERKSHIRE EAGLE- May 30, 2013

PITTSFIELD >> The father of a young boy mauled by dogs was acquitted of threatening the animal's owner with a pistol following a short trial in Central Berkshire District Court's Jury-of-Six session. It took the panel's four women and two men about 10 minutes on Tuesday to find 30 year- old Anthony Petell not guilty of felony assault with a dangerous weapon. The trial before District Court Judge Robert S. Murphy Jr. lasted about half a day.

According to Pittsfield Police and the complaining witness, Adam Pollack, Petell drove up to Pollack's Edward Avenue residence on the night of July 25, 2012, and called him over to his vehicle. Pollack, who had been smoking on his front porch, walked over to the car and Petell allegedly pulled out a .40 caliber pistol, aimed it at Pollack and told him, "We'll do this right now." Pollack said he ran inside his house and called 911. In a preliminary statement given to police Pollack allegedly said he "wasn't sure" Petell had a gun. A firearm was never recovered, according to a police report.

Petell told the jury that he had driven by the house that night, slowed down but didn't stop, didn't see Pollack, and did not have a gun. According to Petell's lawyer, Marc C. Vincelette, the alleged incident took place on the eve of a city hearing held to determine the fate of Pollack's dogs. Pollack's allegations were nothing more than an attempt to "even the score" for Petell's attempts to have the animals euthanized, Vincelette said.

A month earlier, on June 11, Petell's now 10- year- old son was attacked by American Staffordshire terriers owned by Pollack and Lori Rohde, both 43. The attack left the boy with severe injuries. According to Petell, his son had part of his scalp ripped away and suffered 35 puncture wounds to various areas of his body. Police said at least two of the dogs attacked the boy, but Pollack and Rohde have maintained it was just one of their dogs, a 2- year- old named Diablo, who was involved. Diablo was later euthanized, while the other dogs were taken to Schenectady, N. Y., where Pollack now resides.

"I am very pleased with the jury's verdict and to shut this chapter of the nightmare that began for the Petell family when their little boy was attacked," Vincelette told The Eagle following the trial.