A delivery driver in Virginia Beach, Virginia, was filmed throwing a package at a black cat sunbathing on a front porch, an act captured by the homeowner's Ring camera. The footage shows the driver approaching the home with a package, and as the cat, named Opie, lifts its head, the driver hurls the package directly at the animal.
Isabell Sump, Opie's owner, expressed her fury and disbelief after reviewing the video. "He's typically a very carefree cat," Sump told 10 on Your Side. "He doesn't bother anybody unless they give him a reason, and he wasn't doing anything." Following the incident, Opie was observed limping and appeared skittish.
After striking the cat, the driver appeared to smirk before taking two photos of the home, presumably as proof of delivery. Sump stated that the driver used an underhand throw, rearing back before releasing the package toward Opie.
Sump indicated her intention to press criminal charges once the driver is identified. She reported that the delivery company, GOFO, has stated they are investigating the incident. "They just keep telling me that they opened an investigation and that they’re investigating it and that they’re so sorry for what happened," Sump said. She emphasized her belief that the driver should not be throwing packages at animals and questioned what might happen if this was not an isolated incident.
The video, shared online, generated widespread anger. Sump noted that the timing of the incident, near Halloween, was particularly concerning due to superstitions surrounding black cats. "We knew it was going to get some attention, but we didn’t think it was going to get the attention it did, and we’re glad it did, because black cats this time of year get picked on a lot," she said.
Sump suggested alternative actions the driver could have taken if uncomfortable with the cat, such as leaving the package in the yard. "There’s no need to harm the animals. They didn’t do nothing to you," she added.
Later, a driver identifying himself as the one who delivered the package approached Sump's home and, using a translator app, offered an apology. "I'm the guy who came to deliver the package," he stated. "So what I came to do was to apologize to the person, to show my face because I'm telling you I'm not someone who likes trouble, let alone cats."
Sump, however, rejected the apology, stating, "You had no right to hurt my animal. You should not be throwing packages in general, let alone at an animal." Police and animal control were subsequently called to the home. No arrests were made at the time of the report.