Joliet Man Who Left Dog to Die Chained to Tree Threatened Pal With Bat Over Beer: Cops

When the police went inside William Ross Henry's house three weeks ago to investigate an animal cruelty case they reportedly found it littered with hundreds of empty beer cans. On Sunday, Henry apparently wanted some full beers so badly he threatened a friend with a baseball bat, police said.

The bat threat caught Henry, 51, an aggravated assault case to go with the charges of animal cruelty, driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license he picked up July 1.

The earlier case stemmed from the police allegedly finding a dead Rottweiler chained to a tree in Henry's yard. While officers were at Henry's 1101 Norley Ave. home investigating the dog's death, he pulled up drunk on a dirt bike, police said.

Officers then went inside Henry's house, were "overwhelmed by the smell of feces and urine," polcie said, and found a crippled pit bull. That dog was later euthanized.

A few weeks later, on Sunday afternoon, Henry was drinking with a couple buddies at a house on Hosmer Street, police said. Henry reportedly grew weary, police said, and one of his friends drove him the block and a half home.

After getting back to his place, police said, Henry telephoned his pals and told them he was coming back for some beer he left behind and that it "better be outside when he got there."

When Henry got there the beer wasn't outside, police said, so Henry went into the house with a baseball bat and confronted his friends, asking them, "Who wants it first?"

One of his buddies brandished a lawn chair in defense and apparently frightened Henry off, police said. The cops arrested Henry a short time later at his home.

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