Man facing charges for shooting, killing neighbor’s dog

MIDWAY — A man is facing two charges after the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office said he shot a neighbor’s dog Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024.

Rodrick (Rod) Storms is facing charges for;

• One count for aggravated cruelty to an animal;
• One count for possession of a dangerous weapon with intent to assault.

Investigation of Blue’s death

Aaron and Aimee Simpson told KSL TV their dog, an 8-year-old Greater Swiss mountain dog named “Blue,” was shot by Storms while under their neighbor’s care.

Arlene and Jon Gertsch, the neighbors watching Blue, told investigators that Arlene Gertsch was sitting on her front porch with Blue in the front yard, when Storms began walking “up and down the street,” in front of their residence. She told investigators it appeared Storms was “trying to get Blue to come onto the road.”

Deputies recommend charges after dog shot, killed in Wasatch County

Jon Gertsch said he was watching Storms’ behavior from inside the house, through a front window.

Storms said that Blue “went after” a woman on cross country ski-skates that morning, and showed investigators pictures of Blue and the woman in two separate photos, but never in one photo together.

Investigators reported that Storms thought Blue “had been a problem in the neighborhood for years,” and that he had contacted Animal Control “several times to report Blue being in the roadway and barking at pedestrians and cyclists.”

According to the affidavit, Storms “expressed frustration that very little had been done to address the problem.” Storms had been taking photos and videos to document incidents to send to Animal Control.

Storms also reported that he rode his bike Saturday morning and went for a walk. He told investigators he saw an “older couple with a dog” also on the bike path ahead of him. He said Blue went after the couple “for about 150 feet.”

Rod said he was reaching for his phone from a “small pack” he had on his waist, which also had his wallet and a small Ruger LCP pistol, to document Blue’s behavior to send to Animal Control.

He told investigators that Blue turned and “came straight at him, barking and signaling an attack.” Storms said he grabbed his pistol as Blue got closer to him, “so he shot him in the head.”

Storms said he was on the bike path, and so was Blue, when he shot and killed Blue. Investigators reported that Storms showed them the small Ruger LCP pistol he used. Officials found evidence that showed one shot was fired.

Both Arlene Gertsch and Storms called police after the incident to report the shooting.

Arlene Gertsch originally told investigators that Storms had “dragged Blue by his scruff” from under a tree where he was laying, and then shot him. John Gertsch said Storms went through a pumpkin patch to get to Blue.

Later, John Gertsch told investigators that “somebody, he could not recall who, had come by and Blue had stood up and was barking at them.” He said Blue was standing in weeds at the edge of the yard when Storms “walked onto the property and grabbed him.”

Storms denied ever going onto the Gertsch’s property or physically touching Blue.

Investigators did not find any tracks that matched Storms’ shoes, but they did find dog tracks. “I did not locate any drag or scuff marks,” the investigator reported. They also stated they found a bullet wound that supported Blue was shot once while standing, but “the wound channel and angle of Blue’s body is not consistent with the history provided by (Storms).”

Arlene Gertsch told investigators that Storms “told her that Blue had been a problem long enough, and he took care of it.”

Following the incident, Arlene Gertsch said it “appeared that (Storms) was trying to get Blue to come to onto the road,” and told investigators that “on several occasions, (Storms) has tried to get Blue to chase him or to come onto the road so he can report it to Animal Control.”

The Gertsch’s told officials that Blue does bark at people, but is not aggressive. They were not aware of Blue ever attacking or biting anyone.

Findings

The Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office reported that there was no evidence to support that the dog was removed from the yard and then shot. The evidence also did not support the dog to be attacking Storms. Investigators said evidence was more consistent with Storms standing on the bike path, and shooting Blue in the side of the head as he was leaving the road, onto the Gertsch’s property.