WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Wrangling an alligator is not new for police officers in Florida, but taking on the large reptile just by using one’s bare hands is a different approach.
The West Palm Beach Police Department posted a video on Facebook on Tuesday, showing an officer squaring off against an annoyed alligator in a parking lot.
“Just another day on patrol … until it isn’t,“ the West police wrote.
The video shows an officer approaching the alligator with what appears to be a baton, WPBF reported. He then drops the baton and uses his hands to take control of the animal, tapping the reptile on the top and bottom of its snout a few times.
The officer was then able to close the alligator’s mouth with his hands.
According to the video, another officer steps in to assist, the television station reported. Together, they were able to secure a band around the alligator’s snout before removing it.
“From neighborhood calls to going toe-to-toe with an alligator, our officers never quite know what they’ll show up to next,” the department wrote on Facebook. “Well-rounded policing means being ready for anything, even when it has scales and a serious attitude.”
It was unclear when the video was made, along with teh exact location in West Palm Beach.