New Galilee councilman resigns after video appears to show him hitting stray cats with his car
NEW GALILEE — A member of New Galilee Council resigned last week after footage of him apparently attacking animals appeared online.
Captured on a home's outdoor security camera, Councilman Frank Pagani Jr. was seen speeding in his car in an attempt to run over stray cats on Dec. 1, officials said. When the video was brought to the attention of the borough council and community members online, Pagani resigned from his position.
Pagani could not be reached for comment Monday.
In the video footage, Pagani's white truck is shown speeding down the road to strike a stray cat sitting on the street. The cat is hit by the truck then runs off, rejoining a group of cats on the side of the road in a panic before the group exits the video down a nearby alleyway. It is unknown what happened to the stray cat after it leaves the video.
After striking the animal, Pagani then misses a stop sign at the end of the street before turning down the road and parking in a nearby driveway. A man in an orange vest who saw the incident then follows Pagani's truck to the driveway. He is later seen leaving the driveway and returning to the sidewalk.
Community comments underneath the video were critical of Pagani's actions, describing the acts as "horrible" and calling for legal action to be taken. The Beaver County Humane Society has also launched an investigation into the incident, but Pagani had not been charged as of Monday afternoon. Humane Society representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
New Galilee has seen a large number of cats around the borough in recent years, with efforts being made to reduce the population through adoptions and trap, neuter, release programs.
Garret Roberts is the local Public Priority reporter for The Beaver County Times. He can be contacted at groberts1@gannett.com and can be followed on Twitter at @ReportedRoberts.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: New Galilee councilman resigns after community members say video shows him hitting cats with his car
