Louisiana has a different breed of cop….literally!
A routine impaired-driving investigation in southern Louisiana took a bizarre turn Sunday when a suspect apparently decided that being arrested by police wasn’t nearly as exciting as being chased by law enforcement, drones, and eventually an alligator.
Authorities say 40-year-old Victor Rivas was first spotted driving recklessly on Interstate 10. Reports indicated his vehicle had already introduced itself to a concrete barrier and sacrificed a tire along the way.
Troopers eventually stopped the vehicle on Interstate 310. During a roadside investigation, deputies noticed signs of impairment. Faced with the possibility of answering a few questions, Rivas instead chose the time-honored Louisiana strategy of leaping off an elevated interstate into a swamp.
Unfortunately, the swamp was already occupied.
After a brief search, deputies located Rivas walking near a highway. When approached, he reportedly fled once again into another section of swamp, apparently convinced that things would go better the second time.
They did not.
According to the sheriff’s office, an alligator then volunteered for active duty.
“That’s when an alligator joined the law enforcement team and tried to convince Rivas that surrendering was the better option,” officials said.
The reptilian deputy’s negotiation tactics were somewhat aggressive, resulting in injuries to both of Rivas’ arms.
Undeterred, Rivas continued fleeing until a drone team located him and directed deputies to his position. Sources say the drone was later awarded Most Valuable Aircraft.
Rivas was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The alligator, meanwhile, completed its shift without incident and was unavailable for comment.
After treatment, Rivas was booked into jail on charges including driving while impaired and resisting an officer.
Authorities closed the case with a public safety reminder:
“Don’t drive impaired. Don’t run from deputies. And for the love of common sense, don’t hide in Louisiana swamps. The wildlife has apparently started cooperating with law enforcement.”
At press time, the alligator was reportedly reviewing applications for its own badge.
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