Two Carter County men made initial appearances in Carter County Circuit Court Friday on separate charges after their cases were bound over to the grand jury earlier this summer.

Circuit Court Judge Stacy Street set an arraignment date for October 18 for Garrett B. Birchfield, 26, Heaton Ridge Road, who is charged with aggravated burglary, theft of property over $1,000, tampering with evidence, and four counts of intentional killing of an animal.

Birchfield’s charges stem from an incident, which occurred April 1 when he allegedly shot four dogs and dumped them at an illegal dump site on Teaberry Road. The additional charges stem from a complaint by a nearby resident, who said four dogs had been taken from her home along with a 22-caliber rifle.

Officers with the Carter County Sheriff’s Department reported finding shell casings and a pool of blood in the yard of the complainant’s home.

Birchfield is a former Carter County 911 dispatcher.

Also appearing in Circuit Court Friday was Claude Henry Banner, who is charged with attempted second-degree murder and employing a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony.

Banner, 51, is accused of shooting Marvin Lee Clawson, 49, in March of this year. The shooting occurred in the Poga community. Both Banner and Clawson told investigators with the Carter County Sheriff’s Department they were looking at Banner’s gun collection when the incident occurred.

Banner admitted to shooting Clawson, but said he had not meant to do so. He is scheduled for an arraignment October 18 in Circuit Court.

Both Banner and Birchfield are represented by defense attorney Ryan Curtis.