The Lincoln County Court remanded custody of a Whitefield man’s horse to the town’s animal control officer on Oct. 24. The horse’s owner is in jail awaiting trial for criminal threatening.
When Peter Poland, 39, of Whitefield, was arrested in September, he left his Belgian draft horse in the care of a friend. However, when the horse started breaking out, a concerned neighbor called the town’s animal control officer.
Whitefield’s Animal Control Officer Carrie Haven found a horse that was not being fed or watered nearly often enough, was left in a small enclosure standing in its own feces, and was “kicking out the boards” of the enclosure, Haven said in a telephone interview on Oct. 25.
On Oct. 24, at the court’s order, Haven placed the horse in the custody of a local couple who agreed to care for the horse. The couple has requested to remain anonymous and Haven said the horse is doing well.
Poland was arrested on Sept. 16 after a six-hour standoff with police at his Mills Road home. Police were called after Poland, allegedly intoxicated at the time, allegedly entered his neighbor’s home and threatened him with a sawed-off shotgun.
A state police affidavit filed after Poland’s arrest describes a scene inside the neighbor’s home, in which Poland points the loaded shotgun at his neighbor’s head and screams that he is going to kill him, because “someone turned him and his friend into [sic] the Police and felt [the neighbor] was really nosey,” according to the affidavit. The neighbor’s niece eventually helped persuade Poland to leave and return to his own home.
Police arrived on scene shortly after midnight. When Poland refused to come out of his house, the State Police tactical team was called in. Sometime before 6 a.m., police entered Poland’s home and arrested him. No shots were fired, and no one was injured, police said.
Poland is charged with criminal threatening. He has not been indicted as of press time.
Poland has been held at Two Bridges Regional Jail since his arrest. His bail is set at $5000 cash, which his lawyer says he is unable to pay; Poland will request a lower bail amount at a hearing scheduled for Oct. 27, according to court documents.
Haven believes that if Poland is released on bail he will have an opportunity to retrieve his horse if he pays restitution to the couple housing his horse for all expenses incurred for its care.
A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 12, at which the court will decide permanent custody of the horse.