Man accused of shooting family dog from second-floor window of Massachusetts home while hunting coyotes

A Cohasset, Massachusetts man appeared in court on Tuesday, accused of shooting and killing his family dog from a second-story window. The man said he was trying to hunt coyotes and accidentally shot the dog.

Christopher Lucas was arraigned in Quincy District Court, facing charges that include animal cruelty and hunting without a license.

The charges stem from an August incident when police say the Cohasset man was attempting to hunt coyotes from his second-floor window on Hillside Drive.

That's when Lucas allegedly shot his wife's 14-year-old pet dog in the head, killing the animal in the driveway.

Police say the whole thing was caught on the home's security camera system and ultimately led to Lucas' arrest.

Prosecutors said that after shooting the dog, Lucas put the animal in his car and drove it to Maine to bury it.

Investigators say the 59-year-old did not have a valid Massachusetts hunting license at the time and that the shooting occurred outside the state's legal hunting season. In addition, Lucas was allegedly putting out bait to lure in the coyotes and hunt them, which is illegal.

Cohasset Police suspended Lucas's license to carry and seized several firearms from the home.

In court, prosecutors said Lucas told his wife he thought he was shooting a coyote.

A defense attorney for Lucas said he and his wife are going through a divorce and suggested that is why this is coming to light now.

Lucas was ordered to stay away from his wife and turn over all of his weapons. The judge rejected a request that he stay in the state and on a GPS monitor.