Joint Statement from the Yorktown Democratic Committee and JannMirchandani, Democratic Candidate for Town Supervisor:
YORKTOWN, NY — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Peter Cleary, Chairman of the Yorktown
Democratic Committee, and Jann Mirchandani, Democratic candidate for Town Supervisor, issued
the following joint statement today regarding Supervisor Ed Lachterman’s public comments on the
shooting death of Luke, a dog belonging to Matt Steele, an unhoused Yorktown resident:
“Yesterday, a retired NYPD officer allegedly shot and killed Luke, a dog belonging to Matt Steele,
an unhoused Yorktown resident, during what may or may not have been a scuffle between two
dogs. The Yorktown Police Department didn’t call it an accident. They charged the shooter, James
Molloy, with aggravated cruelty to animals and reckless endangerment — because, in their own
words, the gunfire ‘created a grave risk of death to others.’
“Supervisor Lachterman described the incident, saying, ‘I think it’s just an unfortunate set of
circumstances where Luke’s leash broke. The other guy had a dog. Luke is part husky, and they’re
alpha dogs. He went over to the other dog and was telling him he was the boss… but I wasn’t
there.’
“In four sentences, Lachterman builds a case — not against the man who pulled a gun, but against
the dog who got shot. He wasn’t there, by his own admission, yet he speaks with total confidence
about Luke’s breed, temperament, and who was ‘acting alpha.’ The one thing he isn’t confident
about is the felony charge sitting in front of him.
“It is highly improper for the town’s top elected official to make any comment — never mind
building a character defense for the man facing felony charges — while an investigation is
ongoing.
“Yorktown doesn’t need a Supervisor willing to spin a tale about what he thinks a dead dog’s
personality might be like to explain away a felony charge. It needs one willing and able to allow the
police to investigate a felony charge without interference.”