Man Convicted of Animal Abuse in Fatal Dog Stabbing
**ESSEX** — A man who stabbed and killed his wife’s dog during an argument was convicted Wednesday of animal abuse.
A Baltimore County jury convicted Darius Bradley, 34, of misdemeanor animal abuse for stabbing a two-year-old pit bull named Freaky but acquitted him of felony aggravated animal cruelty. Jurors also found him not guilty of assaulting his wife, Amber Bradley.
Amber Bradley refused to testify at trial, taking the stand out of the jury’s presence and invoking spousal privilege, which under Maryland law allows a spouse to refuse to testify against their partner in a criminal case. Although the couple was separated at the time of the incident, they remain legally married.
Bradley’s defense attorney, Donald McMillan, suggested at closing that another man — who allegedly fled through the back door just before Bradley entered through the front — had stabbed the dog.
Bradley cried after verdict was read and was returned to jail, where he is also being held on additional, unrelated charges.
"You love these dogs more than me."
Police were called to the unit block of Skipjack Court in the early morning hours of Jan. 27, 2025. The 911 caller — Amber Bradley’s cousin — told officers his cousin’s “ex” had stabbed the dog and fled following an argument.
Darius Bradley had moved out of the home in August 2024, according to charging documents. Amber Bradley told police her husband arrived around 3 a.m., banging on the door. She had a visitor inside at the time, who left via the back door before Bradley entered through the front, she told police.
Once inside, Bradley allegedly took Amber Bradley’s iPhone and grabbed her, ripping her nightgown. During the incident, Bradley stabbed at the back door with a sharp object, possibly a knife he had brought with him, according to police.
Darius Bradley then turned his anger to the dog, witness Jeremy Spry testified.
“He went into the kitchen. Amber was in the living room, two dogs were next to us, barking,” Spry said. “And as soon as he came out the kitchen…he told Amber, ‘You don’t love me. You love these dogs more than me.' And he stabbed the one dog.”
Amber Bradley told police she heard the dog yelp and initially believed her husband had only punched Freaky, according to charging documents. She later realized Freaky— a chunky tan-and-white pit bull mix with a slight underbite — was bleeding from being stabbed with a large kitchen knife.
Freaky bled to death from a stab wound to the upper front leg area, according to testimony from veterinarian from Baltimore County Animal Services who performed a forensic post-death exam.
Bradley is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 17. The misdemeanor animal abuse conviction carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both.