GLASTONBURY, CT — A Virginia man turned himself in to police on Thursday on charges of animal cruelty and violating a protective order.
Michael Gerchy, of Lancaster, Virginia, surrendered to the Glastonbury Police Department on two active arrest warrants.
One warrant charged him with cruelty to animals and the second involved violation of a protective order.
Gerchy was held on a $250,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in Manchester Superior Court on Thursday.
Police obtained the arrest warrant for the animal cruelty case on March 12.
That was the same day investigators first became aware of a video circulating on social media depicting Gerchy violently assaulting one of his dogs at a residence in Glastonbury.
Investigators immediately initiated an investigation, worked to verify the information and took swift action to secure the warrant.
Prosecutors authorized the warrant as extraditable from anywhere in the United States.
Upon learning that Gerchy was residing out of state, police coordinated with out-of-state law enforcement agencies to locate him.
Investigators also worked with out-of-state animal control authorities to assess the welfare of the dogs involved.
The dogs remain out of state and outside the jurisdiction of the Glastonbury Police Department.
The video generated significant worldwide interest on social media, and police received a high volume of calls and emails that at times overwhelmed dispatch and administrative resources.
Some information circulating online was mistakenly interpreted to suggest that a member of the Glastonbury Police Department was involved or was the owner of the dogs depicted in the video.
No Glastonbury police employee was involved in the incident, and Gerchy is not, nor has ever been, a Glastonbury police officer.
