JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating an incident in which a Jacksonville man went to a convenience store holding an alligator with its mouth taped shut.
The video, which was posted to Facebook, shows a man holding the gator while he goes in to a store for beer..
The man, who has been identified as Robby Stratton, can be heard saying, "Y’all got beer still? Y’all ain't out, are y’all?"
The video shows him chase another person inside the store while people laugh in the background.
In the video, Stratton said the alligator he was holding was alive.
"I don't even remember coming up here,” Stratton told WJAX Saturday. "This store sells some good liquor and I drank a lot of it that night.”
Stratton told WJAX that he found the alligator in the back of the truck.
Karen Parker, a spokeswoman with FWC, said they were informed about the incident Friday through a tip via their wildlife alert number. Investigators still have to talk to witnesses and the people involved.
Charges are not currently being pressed because the incident is still under investigation, Florida statute states:
It is unlawful to intentionally kill, injure, possess, or capture or attempt to kill, injure, possess, or capture, an alligator or other crocodilian.
“It was stupid and I’ll be facing some charges here soon and probably go to jail,” Stratton said. “Probably.”
Cox Media Group
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