Convicted felon charged after shooting, killing leashed dog in Nashville backyard

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – A convicted felon is facing additional felony charges after police say he shot and killed a dog at a Nashville home.

On Dec.3, officers were dispatched to a residence located in the 3500 block of Chesapeake Drive to respond to a call that reported an animal was suffering from a gunshot wound.

Once on scene, officers met with the victim who stated 22-year-old Ledeidric Roberson shot his dog in his own backyard. 

An arrest affidavit states the victim told officers his dogs were leashed in his backyard when Roberson’s Pitbull entered and began attacking his dogs. The victim says that’s when Roberson fired 6 to 8 shots toward his dogs and one of bullets hit a dog named Ace. 

Officers transported the victim and Ace to Blue Pearl Pet Hospital where staff advised them that Ace would not survive the gunshot wound that he sustained to the hip. 

An affidavit says the victim advised officers that he ran a breeding business and Ace was worth approximately $4,500.

Court records state Roberson told officers he shot at the dogs because he was in fear of his life. In a statement, Roberson said he fired one shot in an attempt to kill one of the dogs and another to scare it away.

Roberson told officers that he got the handgun from a friend but couldn’t provide the friend’s name or where the gun was located, according to an affidavit.

Officers took Roberson into custody and charged him with theft of property. An affidavit states records showed Roberson was a convicted felon spanning from a reckless aggravated assault- death charge in September 2021.

Roberson now faces felon in possession of a firearm and felony intentional killing of animal charges. He remains in the Metro Jail on a $75,000 bond.