Dog's fans biting back in e-mails, lawyer says
When you start a fight with a bounty hunter nicknamed "Dog," you'd better expect it to get ugly.
Public defender Bill Schoewe found that out this week when Duane "Dog" Chapman's fans started writing and questioning his beef with the bounty hunter.
In May, Schoewe filed a motion asking a judge to force the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office to pursue charges against the bounty hunter. Schoewe said that Chapman lied to police when he told them that Hoang Nguyen took a shot at the bounty hunter's entourage when they were trying to apprehend the fugitive on April 21. Police found no evidence that Nguyen fired a gun, and charges against him were dropped.
In his motion, Schoewe asked the judge to force the district attorney's office to press several charges related to false reporting against Chapman and the members of his group who were there that night.
In a blog called "Dog the Bounty Hunter News Source," fans of the bounty hunter have encouraged others to contact Schoewe and tell him to back off.
"We here at the News Source are asking our friends to call, fax, email, this office and clown and with manners, suggest that they focus on real crime, not an attorney looking for a name."
The blog also states that Chapman is not behind the movement. Messages to Chapman's publicist were not returned Wednesday.
So far, a few fans have heeded the call and written Schoewe and the public defender's office in Denver. He forwarded the e-mails to The Gazette.
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A letter signed "Anne C." reads:
"This is nothing but a big waste of tax payers dollars, now the facts are clear if you listen to the calls to the cops you will know it was not Dog or any of his crew making the call.
If this is just a way for Schoewe to get famous he needs to give it up. This is all bogus and you sure do know how to upset fans by doing stupid things such as this."
Another states:
"Maybe you should be more worried about the REAL criminals instead of the people who are trying to take those criminals off the streets. You need to quit wasting the taxpayers money by trying to prosecute Mr. Chapman and go after the ones that truly deserve to be behind bars."
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On Wednesday, Schoewe stood behind his decision to file the motion.
"What he did to Hoang Nguyen was wrong and illegal, and he should be held accountable for it," Schoewe said. "I'm attempting to seek justice."
A judge has ordered the DA's office to respond in writing to Schoewe's motion by June 12. Once the response is in, the judge will decide how to proceed.
