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Marine seems to hurl puppy off cliff in video

A video that appears to show an armor-clad Marine hurling a small puppy off a cliff and joking with his buddies as it smashes against a rock-strewn desert landscape has sparked outrage online and an investigation by commanders in Hawaii.

A 22-year-old lance corporal from Seattle was named in several online postings as the “puppy killer” and accused of being a “sociopath.” A home address for the Marine was posted on several sites, with at least one urging readers to “make him pay.”

Marine Corps Times could not confirm his identity.

Marine officials on Hawaii have also been unable to confirm that the rifleman based at Kaneohe Bay is the Marine shown in the pixilated, undated video.

“We’re still looking into it. We’re trying to confirm that this is our Marine,” said Maj. Chris Perrine, a spokesman for 3rd Marine Division on Hawaii.

Later Monday, officials at Marine Corps Base Hawaii issued a statement condemning the video.

“The video is shocking and deplorable and is contrary to the high standards we expect of every Marine,” the statement said.

“This video came to our attention this morning, and we have initiated an investigation. We do not tolerate this type of behavior and will take appropriate action.”

“The vast majority of Marines conduct their duties in an honorable manner that brings great credit upon the Marine Corps and the United States. There have been numerous stories of Marines adopting pets and bringing them home from Iraq or helping to arrange life-saving medical care for Iraqi children. Those are the stories that exemplify what we stand for and how most Marines behave,” the statement said.

Various postings of the video had been viewed more than 32,000 times as of Monday afternoon, according to the Web site YouTube.

Some experts say the dog may have been dead before being thrown.

“We think he may have already been dead, but we’re not exactly sure,” said Kristin Dejournett, a cruelty caseworker with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, in a telephone interview.

The puppy appears motionless as the Marine holds it by the scruff of the neck.

“It seems kind of stiff,” Dejournett said. “As the [Marine] pulls his arm back in preparation to throw the puppy, the puppy stays in that same position; it doesn’t move around.”

PETA has received more than 40 phone calls and e-mails complaining about the video over the past few days, Dejournett said.

The group has assigned an audio-visual expert to analyze the recording, she said. “They’re trying to see if they can slow it down and take some stills from it to see if that puppy was actually alive,” she said.

As the puppy flies through the air, the video’s soundtrack features a distinct yelping sound, but Dejournett said that could have been edited in afterward. She noted that the squealing sound does not diminish as the puppy appears to fade in the distance.

To some degree, she said, it doesn’t matter whether the Marines were torturing the puppy or playing with a dead animal.

“Regardless, it is horrifying and it’s not the kind of behavior that we want to see our troops engaging in,” Dejournett said.

DISCUSS: Is this as it seems or is there more to it?