COITSVILLE — Coitsville Police Capt. Gary Abeid said he was skeptical when police received a call from a resident about a four-foot long alligator on his property.
But when he saw that the reptile was real, Abeid’s reaction was, “It’s big enough to hurt somebody.”
The alligator was secured with an animal snare, and after checking with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife for protocol, Abeid killed it with his .223-cal. rifle “to keep it from being a threat to any residents.”
For more on this story, see Friday’s Vindicator or vindy.com
Comments
They killed it ! Now gators are extinct in the valley !
I don't think they are native to the area. Someone's pet either escaped or they got rid of it.
That gator could have taken care of the possums raiding my garbage cans ! What a waste !
Good one or that nosiy dog your nieghbot has.
YPD should have sworn it in as a "Patrol-igator" and let it loose on the streets of Youngstown to lower the Homicides!
I'm sure this is a case of someone discarding a pet that got too large to care for - ignorance, really.
I understand keeping the community safe but, why couldn't the animal have been tranq'd and taken to a zoo?
Maybe the area doesn't have the funding but, shooting the animal for being at the wrong place, wrong time - and not being at fault - certainly doesn't make sense.
makes sense to me
PEOPLE: That gator = one NEW pair of cowboy boots!! And with good cutting, a new belt!!