NC Court of Appeals upholds animal cruelty ruling for man who tried to run over homeless man, cat
By Gracee Mattiace
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ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — The North Carolina Court of Appeals court has ruled against a man charged with two felonies after trying to run over a homeless man and his cat with a truck in May 2021.
Scott Everett Ford was convicted of Felony Animal Cruelty, Felony Obstruction of Justice and Misdemeanor Simple Assault.
On Tuesday, Jan. 2, the court said that Ford’s actions met a definition of “torture,” upholding his animal cruelty charge.
The decision on the charge of obstruction of justice was not unanimous, meaning Ford can appeal to the North Carolina Supreme Court.
The incident from May of 2021 was caught on camera and sparked outrage from the community.
Ford tried to run over Alex McPherson and his cat in a stroller in a grassy area near the Enka/Candler exit on I-40.
At trial, Ford testified that he was looking for an unhoused person to harass.
News 13 spoke to McPherson back in 2021 following the incident…
“I have plenty of people talk crap. But try to run over me with a truck and run over my cat, c’mon dude, that’s not cool. I mean, that’s just dangerous,” he said.
In July 2022, Ford was sentenced to serve an eight-month active sentence.
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