After many months at large, a Maryland man is behind bars after police say he used fireworks to kill a dog off Gunbarrel Road.

The incident happened back on March 4, but the Chattanooga Police Department arrested Cornell Mersiers Jr. on Thursday, Sept. 18.

We want to warn readers that the following information may be disturbing.

Officials responded around 10:00am to Preston Circle after receiving calls that a woods fire had been caused by a man who threw a dog out of his car and then tossed fireworks at it, according to an affidavit obtained by Local 3 News.

Police limited the spread of the flames with fire extinguishers until the Chattanooga Fire Department arrived on scene.

One officer found a small black and white pitbull mix lying on the ground "with its torso torn open and obviou

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