Mr Fish
03-25-2002, 09:40 AM
The Dane County district attorney has dropped charges against the superintendent of astate fish hatchery,saying he believed the man had to bludgeon a cat to death for fear of contracting rabies. John Komassa, 37, of Mount Horeb,was charged with animal mistreatment in December after he beat a cat to death with an aluminum bar,according to the criminal complaint.It said he he tried to remove the cat from the Nevin Fish Hatcheryin Fitchburg when it bit him. District Attorney Brian Blanchard said he decided to drop the charges because Komassa reasonably belived he was at risk of contracting rabies from the feral anaimal. The state D.N.R. has maintained Komassa was only doing his job when he killed the cat. DNR spokesman Greg Matthews had said state statute gives hatchery employees the authority to kill animals that present a threat of disease or are eating fish at the hatchery. Mr Fish.