Celebrity Justice
Ving Jumps to Conclusions in Dog Attack Case

The bizarre dog attack that killed a caretaker at actor Ving Rhames home just got weirder. The LA County Coroner tells TMZ that it was most likely something else, and not the dogs, that killed Jacob Adams. Ving, for his part, isn't waiting for the final report. He's already made up his mind as to what happened.

According to the Coroner, the abrasions and lacerations on Adams' body caused by the dogs were "most likely not fatal." Huh? Then just HOW did the guy die? We're told we won't know that until toxicology test results come out. Initial reports indicated Adams may have suffered a heart attack, but that has yet to be confirmed by the Coroner.

Ving, for his part, issued the following statement yesterday:

I was out of the country when this shocking and terrible tragedy occurred on my property. Jacob Adams was not just a devoted employee -- he was also a dear friend. I want to offer my heartfelt condolences to his family. I am relieved to know that the coroner's report confirmed that my dogs were not the cause of his death -- and that any wounds found on his body were superficial. I would appreciate the media's privacy for me and my family during this difficult time.

Reader Comments

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31. To be safe and cautious, the city will likely put these dogs down now that they have a taste for human flesh and blood.

Posted at 2:47PM on Aug 14th 2007 by bIUBBuLa

32. #25, J.G,
It is not about valuing the lives of the dogs over the life of a human, because the dogs did not kill anyone.

Posted at 2:51PM on Aug 14th 2007 by #25 is a Bad Analysis

33. The initial police reports stated that the bite wounds found on the body were superficial.

Posted at 7:40PM on Aug 14th 2007 by mrogi

34. I agree with # 3. Animals sometime react oddly to things that happen.

Posted at 3:37PM on Aug 14th 2007 by John Denver Rules

35. Dogs DO break skin while playing. My boxer/mastiff cross has left her claw marks all over my legs and arms while playing with me. She doesn't mean to, just sometimes her claws hit my arms or legs. For this she SHOULD NOT be put down.

Posted at 4:06PM on Aug 14th 2007 by Anne

36. the coroner just ruled that the dogs were NOT the cause of death. i run a dog rescue & i've had a a transplant which left me with neuropathy of the feet & legs. i was walking on my road with dh & 3 shepherds. my ankle rolled & down i went. one of the dogs grabbed my shoulder & tried to pull me & the other 2 tried to keep dh away. they were NOT attacking, they were trying to help. they don't have hands so they use what they've got. i trust my life to my dogs & if mr. rhames were to want to rehome those dogs (& i hope he doesn't) i would trust them around me & my kids. if certain posters are gonna make idiotic comments, they should at least now what they are commenting about!

Posted at 3:48PM on Aug 14th 2007 by mary Sanderson

37. Um.....are you all kidding???????

Posted at 3:38PM on Aug 14th 2007 by cara boo

38. I do not believe that the dogs attacked and killed their caretaker, It is just not a likely scenerio.
the man probably had a heart attack, fell and the dogs were trying to help by dragging him or trying to get him up.

It is well known what dogs do when they attack. They go for the throat. Just remember te young woman who was mauled to death by those pit bulls in her San Francisco apartmet hallway, they mauled her. The didn't stop.

These dogs did not do any real damage to this man. From everything I've read, they loved him.

People shouldn't jump to conclusions. I have been nipped by my own collie when feeding her treats because she gets so excited. I have of course now taught her that she doesn't get the treat unless she takes it "nicely".

Geeze don't crucify this man when the media isn't. Thee are other people out there like that football player who should be blasted for training his dogs to do those sorts of things to other dogs and possibly humans.

Posted at 5:20PM on Aug 14th 2007 by Ayla of no people

39. I've know Mr. Ving for some time, he's a good guy. I believe is dogs loved the caretaker. because he took care of the for so long. Boomexpressinc.com

Posted at 6:45PM on Aug 14th 2007 by Boomy

40. This whole thing is BS. The coroner came out forever ago and said the wounds on Jacob Adams were largely superficial and did not cause his death...so this isn't new, and Ving Rhames isn't jumping to ANY conclusions about what happened. Actually, he waited until the coroner's report came in before making any statement at all...that's more than I can say for TMZ and every other news outlet who immediately reported that this man had been "mauled" by dogs and killed in some vicious attack. It really pisses me off that this "attack" was all over the news, but nobody reported the story when the coroner came out and said that the dog bites were NOT the cause of death. Why? Don't want to make themselves look bad for jumping to the wrong conclusion?

Posted at 8:27PM on Aug 14th 2007 by Ally

41. Just WHAT conclusion is Ving jumping to, TMZ? Everything I've read says the dogs did not kill the man, nor inflict anything more than superficial marks. This is ANOTHER one of those times when I read what TMZ is posting about a subject and I go HUH???

Posted at 8:36PM on Aug 14th 2007 by BA

42. It's been reported since the beginning that the "wounds" caused by the dogs were superficial and NOT THE CAUSE OF DEATH.

Ving's statement seems sincere and heartfelt. He's not being dismissive. He's keeping it real. The poor man died, the dogs did not kill him, and that is that. It's a tragedy, not a dog mauling death.

Posted at 10:32PM on Aug 14th 2007 by woody1

43. i agree w #3 dogs were probably trying to wake him up scratches and abrasions consistent w the dogs sensing he was injured so sad bout the guy

Posted at 9:21PM on Aug 15th 2007 by chris

44. Harvey, this incredibly sloppy reporting. The coroner's report stated days ago that the wounds were superficial. Read some of these posts...they will inform you and your staff just how those superficial wounds could have been inflicted if this poor man’s dead body was lying there for any length of time.

This is yet another example of how your "fact checkers" do not check the facts on stories you run, and how your posters often know more than your staff does. TMZ is not a credible "news" source. As managing editor, this is your responsibility.

Posted at 6:01AM on Aug 15th 2007 by George

45. What a rag TMZ is. The first line of this article reads "the bizarre dog attack that killed a caretaker". Then TMZ goes on to say that Ving has already made up his mind that the dogs didn't do it. Well, Ving has made up his mind because he is basing his statement on FACT - the fact that the coroner said the dogs DID NOT cause the death of this poor man.
Geez, I didn't know that TMZ had a coroner on staff, and that this coroner knows more about this case then the LA coroner who actually examined the body.
Typical media garbage - sensensationalizing things that are not accurate with no regard for the truth, the facts or the beings (dogs and people) they destroy in the process.

Posted at 8:05AM on Aug 15th 2007 by Kaynine

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