Just before the Raiders and Steelers faced off at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh earlier this month, Raiders linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong encountered a police dog.
Police said that Armstrong lifted his shirt, pounded his chest and barked at the dog before telling the dog’s handler to let it off the leash. That request was not granted and the game went off without further incident, but an investigation into Armstrong’s conduct was launched.
It’s a third-degree felony to taunt a police dog in Pennsylvania and the Alleghany County sheriff and prosecutor believe that his actions created an unnecessary security risk. They don’t believe that Armstrong acted maliciously, however, and that doesn’t leave much rationale for prosecuting him on felony charges.
Per the Associated Press, the district attorney plans to speak to authorities in California to determine the best response, although it’s unclear what authority any California agency would have to be involved in a response to something deemed non-malicious in Pittsburgh.