Father of boy killed by dog makes first court appearance

Last update: September 26, 2007 - 10:23 PM

The Minneapolis father charged with manslaughter after his 7-year-old son was killed by the family's pit bull made his first appearance in court Wednesday.

The next appearance for Zachary King Sr., 30, will be at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 30, when a trial date may be set.

Surrounded by family members, King deferred to his lawyer, Craig Cascarano, who said his client is still in deep grief.

"He didn't do anything wrong," said Cascarano. He said he expects King to plead not guilty. "He is anxious to go to trial and get this behind him."

King, 30, was charged with second-degree manslaughter after his son, Zack, was killed by Face, a 4-year-old pit bull, on Aug. 16 at their north Minneapolis home.

A criminal complaint said King knew his dog had a vicious propensity and failed to confine him properly, causing his son's death.

King killed the dog with his gun. He later said his son played with the dog all the time and called the incident a "freak accident."

TERRY COLLINS

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