Documents released Thursday detail the moments that led to a Pahrump man’s arrest as well as why Nye County officials and law enforcement seized seven exotic big cats from his residence.
Karl Mitchell, 71, was arrested at his home Wednesday in the 6000 block of North Woodchips Road and booked at the Nye County Detention Center on misdemeanor charges of resisting a public officer and possession of a gun by a prohibited person, according to a copy of Mitchell’s arrest report. Mitchell posted $6,000 bail and was released from custody Wednesday evening, authorities said.
Pahrump Justice Court Administrator Alisa Shoults told the Review-Journal on Thursday Mitchell is due back in for a hearing 9 a.m. on May 15. An attorney was not listed on Mitchell’s case file, Shoults said.
The Nye County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday they had seized seven tigers from Mitchell’s residence, and that they were taken because Mitchell lacked the correct permits to own exotic animals.
The Review-Journal was unable to reach Mitchell for comment Thursday.
According to a statement emailed Wednesday to the Review-Journal, the tigers were being evaluated by a veterinarian before being sent to a wildlife refuge outside the state and that the “condition of the animals seemed good but there were some concerns about their living conditions.” A copy of the search warrant affidavit obtained Thursday identified that location as the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
13 previous cases
Sheriff’s officials outlined in the search warrant affidavit that Mitchell has been involved in at least 13 previous cases filed with the Nye County District Attorney’s office dating back to 2017, and that he “has a documented history of aggression and noncompliance with regulatory authorities,” including threats and attempted violence against enforcement personnel.
Authorities said Mitchell has not held a so-called Special Conditions Animal permit since April 2022, as it was rendered void when his Conditional Use Permit expired. Both are required to possess exotic animals in Nye County, Interim Planning Director Steve Osborne told the Review-Journal on Thursday.
Sheriff’s officials said they used drone surveillance to confirm during an operation in March that the tigers were on Mitchell’s property.
They also reached out to the U.S. Department of Agriculture on March 10 and received confirmation the department in 2001 had permanently revoked all permits issued to Mitchell, the affidavit said. The USDA also prohibits agents from contacting him due to officer safety concerns, citing previous threats to shoot inspectors on his property, according to the affidavit. Investigators further noted previous attempts to obstruct inspectors had resulted in the loss of his exhibitor’s license under the federal Animal Welfare Act.
The USDA did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.
The search warrant affidavit also includes an anecdote from a Nye County enforcement officer, who heard upon their 2011 hiring that former animal control supervisors had informed them of threats made by Mitchell to release the tigers on them and engage in a shootout with anyone attempting to seize them. Mitchell in 1995 also faced charges for attempting to run over a pair of game wardens while they attempted to arrest him for alleged poaching, the document alleged.
Allegedly refused to hand over keys to the cages
The Nye County Sheriff’s SWAT team helped animal control and code enforcement officials execute the search warrant, according to Mitchell’s arrest report.
Shortly after officers arrived on scene, Mitchell was briefly detained and moved to a SWAT vehicle for supervision, according to the arrest report. After the residence was cleared, Mitchell was unrestrained and was asked to identify the locations of each of the tigers. When Mitchell was asked to provide the keys to the tiger cages so that veterinarians and refuge workers could take custody of the tigers, Mitchell allegedly refused.
Mitchell was subsequently instructed to return to the SWAT vehicle, but moved to embrace a person whose name was redacted from the arrest report. Officers ordered Mitchell to return to the SWAT vehicle at least three additional times, and after refusing an officer’s demands, was physically moved to the vehicle.
Nye County Sheriff’s officials told the Review-Journal Mitchell was the only person arrested in connection with the incident.
After an officer took control of Mitchell’s left arm, he allegedly tensed his arm and tried to break the officer’s grip on his arm. Shortly after Mitchell began allegedly resisting, a sheriff’s deputy took hold of Mitchell’s other arm and moved him to the passenger seat of the SWAT vehicle.
There, a ballistic shield was located on the seat, and Mitchell hit his head during the incident, according to the arrest report. Once restrained, Mitchell refused medical services and was transported to the Nye County Detention Center.
The arrest report further stated that in addition to local officials, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security assisted in the search of Mitchell’s residence, and a DHS officer found a handgun in the bedroom of the residence.
The arrest report said Mitchell is prohibited from possessing a firearm after he was convicted of a felony theft charge last July.
Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Casey_Harrison1 on X or @casey-harrison.bsky.social on Bluesky.
