Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
(KSL News) The man who stomped on a pheasant at a high school football game last Friday has apologized.
Two students released the pheasant onto the field during the Viewmont-American Fork game as a prank. Several people tried shooing it to safety.
Viewmont assistant coach Dean Layton says he noticed the pheasant's tail feathers had been plucked so it couldn't fly. He says he tried to pin the bird down with his foot but lost his balance and stepped on it harder than he meant to.
Layton says he's a compassionate person who respects animals and is very sorry it happened.
He faces a misdemeanor animal cruelty charge. The two students face similar charges in juvenile court
