LIBERTYVILLE REVIEW (Illinois) 01 September 05 Gunning gators not much sport for police (Julie Murphy)
Libertyville police gunned down an alligator Saturday afternoon after analyzing all of the information the department had at its disposal to find the situation had all been a hoax.
Chief Patrick Carey said he authorized officers to destroy the roughly 4-foot long plastic replica when his shift commander failed to find someone qualified to help them catch and remove the presumed live reptile.
"I suppose it sounds kind of silly that we shot the thing now, but we did it for reasons of public safety," he said. "We did shoot it and hit it with one shot."
Carey said a resident of the Carriage Hill subdivision, at Walnut and Milwaukee Avenue, was walking his dog, saw the alligator and called police at about 3:45 p.m. Sunday.
Carey said both an officer and the shift commander responded to the call. He said the water was murky and the surface was covered with algae - making the situation look realistic.
"The man walking his dog thought he had seen its (the alligator's) tail curl. The shift commander thought it might spook and go to the bottom of the pond," said Carey. "This happened at the furthest east pond in that subdivision where there is a dike between it and the Des Plaines River."
Carey said the shift commander was concerned that the situation could become worse if the alligator managed to get across the dike and enter the river.
"Our experience with alligators is what comes from watching things like Animal Planet," said Carey. "It takes professionals to capture these creatures and remove them, and we had no luck finding one."
Carey said the resident who put the fake alligator in the water meant it as a joke. No charges were filed against that individual.
Gunning gators not much sport for police