‘Jaywalker’ With Big Mouth Leaves Officer in Stitches
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A Pinellas County sheriff’s deputy trying to catch a “jaywalker” got slapped, knocked down and bitten, leaving a gash that needed 13 stitches.
The jaywalker was a 7-foot-long alligator.
“It’s the first time I’ve gotten bitten, and it’ll be the last,” Deputy Janice Shine, 38, vowed. “From now on, I’ll be packing a big stick with a loop just for these kinds of situations.”
Shine tried Tuesday to muzzle the alligator with a rope and pull it out of a busy intersection. The alligator slapped her with its tail, knocking her down, then bit her leg.
State-licensed alligator trapper Joe Borelli finally removed the animal.
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