Hearing Tomorrow On Whether Alleged Dog-Killer's Case To Be Heard in Behavioral Health Court

Joseph Byrnes

The San Francisco artist and musician is accused of axing his pit bull, Nickel, to death on Aug. 9 in a Bernal Heights church. Police called to the scene found Byrnes' blood-soaked clothes within the Immaculate Conception Church and found him crouched, nude and slathered with blood, over his mortally wounded dog. The officers claim Byrnes told them he killed his dog because it was possessed by the devil.

Last week, a San Francisco judge ruled that Byrnes is "diagnostically suitable" for Behavioral Health Court; a Nov. 12 hearing on whether this is where his case will be heard was put over until tomorrow.

Behavioral Health Court exists to "connect criminal defendants who suffer from serious mental illness to treatment services in the community" and "ensure public safety and reducing recidivism and violence on re-arrest through appropriate mental health treatment and intensive supervision."

Yet a move to this venue is not favored by the District Attorney. Brian Buckelew, an Assistant DA and spokesman for the office, earlier told SF Weekly "The degree of violence, and, frankly, the risk to the community is too great."