Man who used hammer to beat turtle to death and claimed it was in self-defense, arrested for 'animal cruelty' & charged $5000

55 year old Terry Wayne Washington, charged with a state jail felony for beating a turtle to death with a hammer on June 21, has claimed he killed the Turtle in 'self defence'. Terry was charged on Tuesday with 'cruelty to a non-livestock animal' after a Facebook video of the vicious attack made its way to police.

"Share this video and get this man caught!” court witness for the alleged 'murder case' Geoffrey Frank posted underneath his video of the incident.

“People like this make me sick to my stomach! He just hooked the turtle, lured it out of the water, and just nonchalantly smashed it to death with a hammer.”

During a June outing to the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail in Texas, Terry hooked a big catch and struggled to pull it out of the water, but upon pulling out, it wasn't a fish rather it was a 40 pound turtle.

When Terry saw the turtle, he picked it up and smashed the head of the turtle over 10 times with a hammer despite pleas from onlookers begging him to stop the 'cruel' act. 

An affidavit obtained by ABC showed Washington claimed he killed the turtle after it lunged at him and tried to bite him several time.  Terry told the police he attacked the creature out of self-defense and that he wanted to get his fishing hook back.

Terry Wayne Washington’s bail for killing the 'innocent' Turtle was set at $5,000.