Yes, you read that correctly ...

A Maryland deputy was recorded on video shooting and killing a groundhog after it charged towards him

At first, it appeared as if the Maryland sheriff's deputy was trying to do a good deed by stopping traffic to allow a groundhog to cross the road without getting killed.

But that was before the deputy shot and killed the rodent.

A Carroll County sheriff's spokesman said the deputy had to shoot the animal because it was charging towards him, making him fear for his life.

But a witness video shows the deputy could have easily sidestepped the groundhog.

Head, meet desk.

He must've mistook it for a black man.

Clearly he had to assume the groundhog was armed.

"Well Sir, it had arms."

Strange woodchuck behavior, acting aggressive like that. Probably thought it was rabid.

I saw part of the clip on Trever Noah's show I think it was. This is certainly evidence in favor of some trigger-happy cops being cowards. I don't say words like that towards other people lightly. Feared for his life from an 8 pound animal that stands about 10 inches high at the shoulder? He's CLEARLY not suited for that job then. He's a fucking police man. He's bound to face more threatening situations than a confused woodchuck in traffic. Bizarre. To use John Oliver's favorite phrase... holy shit! Call a fucking wildlife rehabilatator/game warden/veterinarian for advice before engaging and shooting an animal to death. No respect for life.
One possibility is that the woodchuck had pups waiting at home and wanted to get by the cop to get back to them. Members of the squirrel family, in my experience, will do daring things when it comes to the safety of their pups. For instance, a mother woodchuck named Sweetheart who was normally afraid of and avoidant of me once whistled just behind me because one of her pups had gotten loose and it was near me. Stubby the red squirrel once hesitantly came right up to my feet to retrieve a peanut-sized baby that was loose and unseen at my feet.

laklak wrote:Strange woodchuck behavior, acting aggressive like that. Probably thought it was rabid.

It didn't appear to be acting aggressively, except that it wanted to get across the road. Ironically, it had made it across the road before the asshole shot it.

The_Piper wrote:

laklak wrote:Strange woodchuck behavior, acting aggressive like that. Probably thought it was rabid.

It didn't appear to be acting aggressively, except that it wanted to get across the road. Ironically, it had made it across the road before the asshole shot it.

It was still abnormal behavior for a woodchuck. Most laws around here when it comes to mammal species are any abnormal behavior leads to the termination of the animal so it can be tested for rabies.

Most woodchucks flee immediately. This one was not. As far as I am aware the officer was acting within the parameter of the law and was not trigger happy.

That's not really abnormal behavior for a woodchuck. Have you ever seen a squirrel cross the road? Just because he was acting within the parameters of the law, that doesn't mean it was the right thing to do. Nor the thoughtful thing. What about the part where he said he feared for his life? I think the law allows for some reflection before shooting something, especially with bystanders there. The woodchuck wasn't charging him. What the hell was he doing at the beginning of the video. It looked like he was coaxing it like a dog or cat. The cars are just as alive as the cop, to a woodchuck's point of view, and the cop is a lot smaller and less scary-looking.

A Carroll County sheriff's spokesman said the deputy had to shoot the animal because it was charging towards him, making him fear for his life.

For future reference, if you want to get a small animal off the road, raise your arms over your head, and go "Rah!!" while stomping towards it.

Hereabouts, a cop that discharged a firearm anywheres near a road, especially one with people and traffic present, for any reason, would be asked some very serious questions with career related consequences.

I doubt that "but that animal looked at me funny" would count as an acceptible answer.

Is it firearms only for American cops? Don't they carry truncheons / batons? One of those would surely have been enough to deal with the situation... not to beat the animal to death, but to keep it at arm's-length-plus and to "sweep" it to the side of the road.

He should've tazed the fucker.

And where do you think a groundhog can get a taser ?

Groundhogs with frickin lasers!

willhud9 wrote:

The_Piper wrote:

laklak wrote:Strange woodchuck behavior, acting aggressive like that. Probably thought it was rabid.

It didn't appear to be acting aggressively, except that it wanted to get across the road. Ironically, it had made it across the road before the asshole shot it.

It was still abnormal behavior for a woodchuck. Most laws around here when it comes to mammal species are any abnormal behavior leads to the termination of the animal so it can be tested for rabies.

Most woodchucks flee immediately. This one was not. As far as I am aware the officer was acting within the parameter of the law and was not trigger happy.

Ummmm...... NO! Growing up in rural areas with lots of rodents including groundhogs, fear causes EXACTLY this type of behaviour. Is this a byproduct of a certain countries’ fear driven hysteria and the need to be armed from these “threats” that most of us don’t blink an eye at?

Hasn't this story already been posted?

John

z8000783 wrote:Hasn't this story already been posted?

Yep, but that's groundhog day for you.