A Louisiana alligator assisted law enforcement officials in apprehending a suspect during a driving while intoxicated investigation after the individual attempted to flee the scene. The alligator viciously mangled the arms of the suspect, who was identified as Victor Rivas, 42, who was allegedly operating a Toyota Supra recklessly on Interstate 10 in Metairie, according to several local news reports.
Rivas allegedly slammed his vehicle into a concrete barrier, blowing out his tires in the process, before Louisiana State Police Troopers located him on Interstate 310 in St. Charles Parish. Troopers conducted a traffic stop and spoke with Rivas, who they quickly determined was showing signs of impairment, state troopers said in a post about the incident on social media.
But then, “During the DWI investigation, Rivas fled on foot and jumped from the elevated portion of Interstate 310 into the swamp below,” authorities said. “Troopers and deputies with the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office began searching for Rivas, who was later spotted walking along U.S. Highway 61.” And that’s when the alligator apparently decided that now was the perfect time to make a play.
According to a report from Breitbart News, “When law enforcement approached, he fled again into a swampy area, where he was attacked by an alligator and sustained injuries to both arms. Despite his injuries, Rivas continued fleeing before being located and apprehended with the assistance of drone technology.” The incident was captured on body camera footage.
The video showed Rivas in the swamp, moving away from the officer who had pulled his handgun. You can see a series of splashes to the right of the camera. A few seconds later, the alligator swam toward Rivas, making even larger splashes as it launched its attack. After the mauling, Rivas was caught by police and transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Authorities later charged him with a DWI and resisting an officer. “Additional warrants were obtained for Hit and Run and Careless Operation in connection with the earlier crash in Jefferson Parish,” police said, going on to add, “Impaired driving can lead to serious and unpredictable consequences.” Hilariously, the St. Charles Sheriff’s Office then shared the footage of the attack along with images of an alligator in a police uniform.
The post also stated that Rivas was “transported to the hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The alligator was not injured and has since returned to its regular patrol of the swamp.” The agency then added, “Reminder: Don’t drive impaired, don’t run from deputies, and definitely don’t hide in Louisiana swamps. Wildlife may just be cooperating with law enforcement.”
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A commenter on the Breitbart story cracked a joke about the alligator, connecting it with crooked politicians in the “swamp” of Washington, D.C. “Finally a useful swamp creature,” the user wrote. Someone else replied to the comment saying the alligator was useful because it wasn’t a lawmaker working in D.C. Another person suggested hiring alligators to assist with guarding the southern border from illegal aliens attempting to enter the country.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video