Man charged with murder after pit bull dispute

A man who police say shot and killed a 41-year-old man during a dispute over the ownership of a pit bull was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder.

Justin Rourke, 32, also faces a count of animal cruelty and four counts of aggravated assault in a confrontation that left Roman Padilla dead from gunfire on Thursday.

Wichita police last week said Rourke and two other people went to a home in the 500 block of South Edwards to retrieve a dog he believed belonged to him. In the ensuing argument, police say he pulled a handgun and fired several times, striking Padilla once in the torso as the men stood on the front porch.

A dog apparently released from the home, possibly by someone who was inside, charged toward the people on the porch and was also fatally shot, police said last week.

Rourke and the two other people turned themselves in to police shortly after the shooting.

Rourke’s defense attorney, John Rapp, said Tuesday he’s eager to get into court to “tell our side of the story.”

Rourke is due back in court for a preliminary hearing June 30. He was being held in Sedgwick County Jail on Tuesday in lieu of $500,000 bond.

This story was originally published June 16, 2015 at 9:24 PM with the headline "Man charged with murder after pit bull dispute."