Dog Chapman Tells ET: I Wanted To Strangle My Grandson's Father
May 28 2018, Updated 10:10 a.m. ET
In the wake of Star's exclusive audio that helped gain Duane "Dog the Bounty Hunter" Chapman temporary custody of his grandson "Little" Travis, the TV star opens up to Thursday's edition of Entertainment Tonight about the child abuse accusations he’s lobbed against the boy’s father, “Big” Travis Mimms.
Travis, 9, is the son of the TV star’s late daughter Barbara-Katie, who died in a car accident five years ago. Chapman, on Thursday, recalls the moments he heard the disturbing audio -- and how he was engulfed by anger soon thereafter.
Read Dog the Bounty Hunter’s restraining and custody order papers here.
"I was in L.A. at Gene Simmons' wedding and I got the tape emailed to me," Chapman tells ET's Chris Jacobs. "It was overwhelming to me and I got mad -- I instantly thought, 'I can't wait to get my hands around Mimms' throat,’ but then I am trained enough to know not to do that."
Chapman said the alleged abuse inflicted on the child actually worsened when school officials expressed concern to the boy's father about his well-being.
"The school had told Mimms, 'Your son is telling his friends he's getting beat!'” he said. “So because the teacher went to the parent -- the abuser -- and said, 'Hey there's rumors you're beating your kid' ... he went home and did exactly that."
Chapman admitted he kind of felt like he was on the job when pursing Mimms.
"I felt like there was a bounty on Mimms," he said. "But I thought, this is your grandson, there's no bounty. When I caught Mimms, I got the same feeling only this was my love, my grandson. I felt like, ‘Wow, I got him.’"
- Exposed: Dog The Bounty Hunter's Fight With IRS Over $1.6 Million Owed in Unpaid Taxes
- 'Let Experts Handle This': Dog the Bounty Hunter Accused of 'Trying to Be Relevant' by Potentially Meddling in Search for PA Prison Escapee Danelo Cavalcante
- Dog the Bounty Hunter Making Moves to Track Down Convicted Killer Danelo Cavalcante After He 'Crab-Walked' Out of Pennsylvania Prison
DAILY. BREAKING. CELEBRITY NEWS. ALL FREE.
Mills told ET he spanked his son three times.
“I've said it from day one,” he said. “One's for me, one's for God, one's for him."
Dog The Bounty Hunter returns to A&E on Wednesday, December 14 at 9/8c; for more of Jacobs' interview with Chapman, tune in to Entertainment Tonight on Thursday.
RELATED STORIES:
Cops Turn Grandson Over To Dog The Bounty Hunter: See The Exclusive Video
Dog The Bounty Hunter 'Shocked And Heartbroken' Over Grandson's Alleged Abuse