Huge alligator with dead human body in its jaws found roaming around Florida old people's home
'We don’t want to speculate but I will tell you that when the officer got here the alligator did a roll and had the person in contact with him,' police say
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A large alligator with a dead human body in its jaws was found roaming around an old people's home in Florida.
Lakeland Police department received a emergency 911 call from a resident of an assisted living community after someone spotted the reptile - estimated to be between eight and 10 feet long - with an adult man in its mouth.
Police officers sent to the scene later said the man had been dead for more than a day - but that is was unclear how he died, or if the alligator had killed him.
Sergeant Gary Gross from Lakeland Police told WLFA: "The officers got here and the alligator still had the person. He let the individual go, he is deceased, looks like this person may have been dead more than a day
"We don’t want to speculate but I will tell you that when the officer got here the alligator did a roll and had the person in contact with him.
"The officers immediately got their firearms out in case the gator comes up. Once he left they didn’t want him coming back and pull the body back out, that did not happen."
After the alligator released the body, police were able to pull the body from the water.
Sgt Gross said Florida Fish and Wildlife Officers along with "gator trapper" Scott Barbon were searching the lake for the reptile predator.
He added: "The main thing now is if they trap the gator to try to figure out if they can do a test on that gator and see if there’s any human parts in that gator’s stomach."
Lakeland Police are investigating the man's identity but have not released any other details,
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments