Two men charged with drop-kicking and killing cat in social media video

LANSING, Mich. – Two men have been charged in connection with a video shared on social media showing someone drop-kicking a cat in a dark parking lot.

The men, Kian Miller Jr., 21, and Brandon Coney, 19, both of Lansing were arrested Wednesday based on a tip from the public and charged with second-degree killing and torturing an animal. If convicted, they face up to seven years in prison.

One man is accused of kicking the cat, and the other of taking the video.

“This is a great community that takes a strong stance on animals being treated fairly," Ingham County Animal Control Director Jodi LeBombard said in a news release. "We do not tolerate cruelty acts to our animals.”

Officials believe the incident took place in Lansing on or around July 8 and 9. The cat was found dead in a nearby dumpster.

The video, which originally was posted on social media, was sent to animal control through its anonymous animal cruelty tip email, according to a news release.

The Capital Area Humane Society is also looking for tips about a kitten who was found with his legs bound with zip ties.

A citizen found the orange, striped cat near the Webster Farms subdivision on Pleasant Grove Road and took him to a clinic.

An updated video about the kitten's condition on Aug. 2 shows him up and walking around, interacting with CAHS employees.

Follow Kara Berg on Twitter @karaberg95.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Cat drop-kicked: 2 men charged with killing animal in Lansing, Michigan