Prineville, Ore. — Pastor Jason Swick appeared in Crook County Circuit Court on Wednesday morning for his arraignment on a charge of first-degree animal abuse, formally beginning the criminal case stemming from the September shooting of a neighborhood cat named Pumpkin.
Swick, represented by Bend attorney Jason Wheeless of Gilroy Napoli Short Law Group, waived a full reading of the information and entered a not-guilty plea. Judge Annette Hillman granted the defense ten days to file any motions challenging the charging document and then addressed Swick’s release conditions for the case.
The judge ordered Swick to obey all laws, maintain contact with his attorney, appear in person for all future court dates, and complete the booking process at the Crook County Jail before his next appearance. He is also prohibited from possessing domestic animals or weapons while the matter is pending. Swick’s next hearing, an early-resolution conference, is set for January 29th at 2 p.m.
After the arraignment, Wheeless spoke exclusively with the Prineville Review and reiterated the defense position that the charge should never have been filed. He emphasized what he described as the findings of the initial responding deputy. “We’re a bit perplexed about this charge, since the initial law enforcement investigation determined that no wrongdoing was done, and that is actually written into a police report,” he said. “After the first responder performed his investigation, he determined that no crime had been committed — that Mr. Swick’s chickens were in his coop, and that a stray or feral cat had entered the coop and was attacking those chickens. And because of that, he was doing nothing more than protecting his livestock.”
Wheeless said the defense wants the community to understand the full context of the situation and stated that Swick “is not a threat to anyone,” adding that he loves his community, his church, and his family.
When asked about the common scenario in which prosecutors may disagree with or overrule an officer’s interpretation of the law, Wheeless acknowledged that the district attorney has ultimate charging authority. But he said this case is unusual because “it is very unusual to have law enforcement state in the police report that they do not believe a crime was committed, and that is what is different about this case.” He also noted that, because this is a misdemeanor charge, there was no grand jury process.
Following the attorney’s remarks, the Prineville Review sought comment from Crook County District Attorney Kari Hathorn regarding the defense’s claim about the deputy’s assessment.
Hathorn disputed the defense’s interpretation of the law and the applicability of livestock-protection statutes. “The District Attorney’s Office believes the law and evidence supports the charge of animal abuse filed against Mr. Swick,” she said. “While the deputy’s report references Oregon laws that allow an owner of livestock to protect livestock from dogs, those statutes do not apply in this case.”
Wheeless declined to address one of the central points of public concern: Swick’s decision to dispose of the wounded cat in a dumpster behind the Prineville Church of Christ, rather than at his home. “That’s not the basis of the charge and not particularly relevant to the charge itself,” he said. “We won’t make any comment on that at this time.”
The Prineville Review also asked whether Swick intended to assist the cat’s owner with veterinary costs, which have exceeded several thousand dollars. Wheeless said Swick hopes the case can be resolved “as painlessly as possible for all involved,” and added that Swick “feels terrible” for the cat’s owner and did not know the cat belonged to anyone. He said Swick is open to working with the victim but also wants any final outcome to reflect his dignity and character.
As we previously reported, Swick acknowledged shooting the cat in a Facebook post, stating he believed it was feral and attacking his chickens. The post was later deleted. Pumpkin survived but was left permanently blind after emergency surgery in Bend, and the incident prompted protests outside the church and widespread condemnation from residents.
Swick remains out of custody under court supervision and will return to court in January.
Mr. Alderman is an investigative journalist specializing in government transparency, non-profit accountability, consumer protection, and is a subject mater expert on Oregon’s public records and meetings laws. As a former U.S. Army Military Police Officer, he brings a disciplined investigative approach to his reporting that has frequently exposed ethics violations, financial mismanagement, and transparency failures by public officials and agencies.
