Andrea Rosebrock 
Update 2/13/09 – Puppy Killer, Glynn Johnson, Suing the Owners of the Puppy He Killed
Update 12/23/08 – Glynn Johnson’s Puppy Killing Defense – VIDEO
Update 12/16/08 – Puppy Killer, Glynn Johnson, Arrested… Finally!
Los Angeles County Assistant Fire Chief Glynn Johnson is in the hot spotlight after he beat a neighbor’s 6 month-old shepherd mix puppy so brutally he had to be put down.
On Monday evening, Jeff and Shelley Toole’s puppy, Karley, got out and went to visit neighbor, 24-yr-old Travis Staggs. Staggs lives one house over from the Toole’s and the house between belongs to Glynn Johnson. Staggs was walking the puppy home to the Toole’s when Johnson stepped in and told Staggs to give him the puppy, that he would take it home. Staggs wasn’t real happy but I guess you don’t argue with a guy when he’s a Fire Chief, a public official and a big guy and you’re a young guy just trying to do the right thing so Staggs reluctantly handed the puppy over to Johnson.
Staggs says that’s when Johnson just started beating the puppy for no reason.
Johnson hit the dog repeatedly with a closed fist, put his hands in the puppy’s mouth and tried to break its jaws, and eventually beat the dog over the head repeatedly with a large rock from the front yard.
Staggs tried to stop the brutal beating but couldn’t, Johnson shoved him way.
“He hit the dog in the face with a closed fist two times. He got on top of the dog and started beating her,” Staggs said.
“At that time I ran down my driveway, ran up his, tried to pull him off and his hands were in the dog’s mouth. He was trying to pull the dog’s jaws apart, breaking the dog’s jaws. He was prying her jaws apart and grabbed a rock and started beating her with a rock,” said Staggs.
Staggs said that’s when the dog managed to get away.
In the end, Karley was so severely injured that the Tooles had to have him humanely put down.
After Johnson’s attack on the puppy, the Toole family found the dog lying in a gully. The dog suffered a broken jaw, nose, crushed skull and lost an eye. The vet said she would have faced permanent brain damage before the family decided to put her to sleep.
“I’ve never seen a dog come in with that level of head injury,” said Dr. Howard. “I’ve seen pets who have been hit by cars and they were thrown by the car and suffered fractures to the nose or skull but I’ve never seen a case where their head was that badly damaged.”
Johnson admits he beat the puppy but says he was defending himself against a violent attack. Staggs said there was no attack, that Johnson just beat the puppy for no reason.
Authorities received two calls from the 17000 block of Armintrout Drive: one from a woman who said her husband was attacked by a dog, and another from a man who said his neighbor had beaten a dog, Riverside County Sheriff’s Sgt. David Barton said in a statement.
Police said Johnson was taken to a hospital for wrist and thumb injuries.
Jeff Toole said the thumb puncture occurred when Johnson grabbed Karley’s mouth and broke her jaw.
“There’s no explanation to me,” said Shelley Toole, the dog’s owner. “He intentionally, for one, went over to (our neighbor) Travis, who already had the puppy and was bringing her home, and took her. He, to me, had no intention of ever returning her. He intended to do her harm.”
Now the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office has to uncover the truth behind this. Did the puppy attack Glynn Johnson as he claims or did he just “in some kind of violent rage” beat Karley for no reason? If they find enough evidence that the dog beating was unwarranted, they will hand the case over to the district attorney for a possible animal cruelty charge, which is a felony.
Although an online biography for Glynn Johnson tells of a “stellar” 30-year career with the department including being an expert in counter-terrorism, the Tooles, 10 year neighbors of Johnson paint quite a different picture of the public official. The Tooles say there is a “history of violence” with Glynn Johnson, and deputies say they are looking into these claims as well.
“This man needs to go to prison for what he did,” says Shelley Toole. She adds, “Karley was my baby, and he took her away from me.”
“We are going to have to find another place to live,” Jeff Toole said.
The L.A. County Fire Department released this statement: “Given the nature of the allegations and the ongoing Riverside County Sheriff’s investigation, Chief Johnson has been placed on administrative leave (with pay). Once more facts are available, the Department will take appropriate action as warranted.”
Glynn Johnson Beats 6 Month-Old Puppy
On a side note, it was scary to read some of the comments that were posted with some of the news stories supposedly from others in the same neighborhood. Paints a picture of ongoing problems with him with other neighbors and their pets. And also that there were other things, problems, issues and incidents that were either never fully investigated or just sort of swept under the carpet. Very Scary!
this makes me sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this man (well coward) that did this needs to b put far away! Id like to do this to him what he did to that poor puppy…and he is a part of our public service?? anyone that lets this man get away with this is just as heartless and guilty as he is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHAT??? WHAT??? OMG!! WHAT A POS!! That wasn’t self defense!!! That was pure, uncontrolled evil! AAAUGHHH!!
WTF THIS POS NEEDS TO PUT AWAY FROM SOCIETY BEFORE HE HURTS ANOTHER DOG OR WORST A PERSON. WHY IS HE STILL THE AST. FIRE CHEIF?????? HE SHOULDN’T EVEN BE A FIREMAN LET ALONG A CHEIF OF ANYTHING. ENOUGH EVIDENCE MY A.. MR SCAGG’S SAW HIM DO IT FOR NO REASON WHAT MORE @#^$% EVIDENCE DO THEY @#&*$ NEED FOR CRYING OUTLOUD HE IS GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY!!!!!!!!!!!
Looking at those pictures, it’s not possible that that little pup threatened this man in any way. This was just a vicious act on an innocent dog who did not deserve to die this way. Something is terribly wrong with people who do this kind of thing and he should be punished to the max. I don’t understand how these big strong guys get satisfaction out of torturing these poor animals who have no choice but to accept it. God rest this pup’s soul and I hope with all my heart that this guy someday gets to feel the pain in the same manner that this pup did.
I’m not sure if this is right, but, it seems the LA County Fire Department’s governing body is the:
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 West Temple Street, Room 383
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 974-1426
Lets all send in our cards and letters.
I wonder what he was on that day he brutally beat this poor puppy?
You gotta be kiddin! You see the size of this ANIMAL?
He’s an ape!
A violent attack? The pup probably licked him- which hardly is violent.
What a evil person. I hope he never is reincarnated!
Not to compare a canine life to a human life nor am I condoning violence,,,,, but maybe this guy needs to get beat down like he did this dog….geesh, I have heard some cruelty to animal stories, even animals kept in cages for scientific research are not treated like this..this story made my heart sink. If he goes to prison for this what a waste of human life, but I hope his prison mates…well….you get the jist….for beating a dog to death? Dang. I am sure his family is embarrassed.
Another useless person. And a fire chief. I’d rather die in a fire than have him about. I hope he rots in hell, in one hot fire that cannot be put out. God bless the dog, this guy is pure evil.
This guy needs to not only lose his job, but he needs to be put away for a long time. There is no excuse for this violent behavior, will it be a child next?
“placed on administrative leave (with pay).” hmm, this makes a lot of sense!!!!
“Once more facts are available, the Department will take appropriate action as warranted.” how many more facts do they need. THERE WAS A WITNESS. effing morons…
This is such BS
Thats one less pos off the streets for awhile anyway
that is tendancies of a serial killer they enjoy hurting animals and he makes me sick!!! there is no reason for that kind of behavior other than he gets off on it! i am so angry i am shaking i wish we could lock those kinds of people in a cage and treat them the way they treat there animals
I could give a rats ass how long he has been a fireman(I sure would not want him comming to my house if I were to have a fire, whos to say he wouldn’t try to break my jaw or hit me with a rock)I mean this was a six month old puppy who was being taken to his owner by a very nice person, the only reason that he gave him the puppy was that he was (is) still a fireman, I mean who better to trust than a fireman. Not this one thats for sure.My only hope is that the judge will see what a pos he is and throw him in jail, and if we are lucky enough, to have him placed in a cell with a man that is just as big if not bigger than he is and heve the ever living s**t beat out of him everyday of his miseriable life, but as we all to ofetn know he will just get a slap on the wrist and still be allowed to be a fireman. What a pos.
And if you can believe it, I don’t believe any charges have been brought yet although the sheriff’s dept turned the case over the the DA with the recommendation that they file charges. The DA’s office turned it back over to investigators and so far as I know it is just sitting in limbo