Gator's Early-Morning Stroll Catches Sarasota Police Off Guard

SARASOTA, FL -- While it's not uncommon to see an alligator in Florida, it's certainly a bit of a surprise to see a nearly 9-foot-long gator casually crawling down the road at 6:30 a.m.

That's the sight that greeted Sarasota Police Sgt Matt Tuggle and Deputy Colling McCormick Friday, March 2, as they were driving down Jacaranda Boulevard.

Tuggle said the gator, which actually measured 8 feet, 7 inches long, "was mean and didn't want to be bothered."

Nevertheless, Tuggle knew the gator would certainly bother more than a few drivers during the morning rush hour traffic. So Tuggle and Colling corralled the giant reptile next to a tree until a professional trapper could arrive and wrangle the beast.

Image via Sarasota Police