Wichita man sentenced to 31 months in fatal dispute over pit bull puppy
A Wichita man who shot another man during a dispute over the ownership of a pit bull puppy will serve 31 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.
Justin Rourke, 32, also was ordered to pay $12,330.06 in restitution in connection with the June 11 shooting death of Roman Padilla, 41.
Police have said Rourke pulled a handgun and shot Padilla and a dog in the 500 block of South Edwards after he and others went to a house there to retrieve the pit bull puppy, which they thought had been stolen. Padilla later died at a Wichita hospital.
Rourke’s defense attorney, in a court document, said Rourke fired in self-defense after Padilla charged at him with a baseball bat. He turned himself into police after the shooting and pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in August.
Originally prosecutors charged him with second-degree murder, animal cruelty and aggravated assault.
The sentence was handed down Thursday by Sedgwick County District Judge Terry Pullman, according to a notation in court records.
Rourke, who maintains his innocence, had asked to be placed on probation.
Amy Renee Leiker: 316-268-6644, @amyreneeleiker
This story was originally published November 23, 2015 at 12:18 PM with the headline "Wichita man sentenced to 31 months in fatal dispute over pit bull puppy."