BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 19, 2021
Last week, Addison Cox, 28, of Warren, and Michael A. Rolerson, 31, of Searsmont, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of cruelty to animals and night hunting. Cox will serve 10 days in jail on weekends and Rolerson will likely begin his 20 day sentence in January, according to court documents. The group, In Defense of Animals, issued a statement Monday morning calling the sentence “pitiful.” “We are deeply disappointed at the pathetic sentences given to these two officers who abused their power, broke the law, and committed shocking animal abuse,” Doll Stanley, In Defense of Animals’ Justice for Animals Campaign Director, said. “Cruelty to animals by any person is offensive, but seeing it inflicted by law enforcement officers who are charged with protecting our communities while they’re on duty is just beyond words.”