Sticky Situation, Gator Attacks, Gun Safety Class For Mom: Weird Florida

Rescue workers had to free a woman who managed to get herself stuck inside a banyan tree earlier this week. Photo courtesy of the Key West Police Department

Patch operates 23 daily news sites in the state of Florida. The following are some of the more unusual, wacky, wonderful or just plain weird stories from the past few weeks:

Gun Used In Trayvon Martin Shooting Pulled From Auction

The former Florida neighborhood watch captain who shot and killed an unarmed teenager in 2012 was looking to cash in on the weapon used that fateful night. His plans, however, may have been dashed.

Gator Bites Off Arm Of Man Hiding From Cops

A 21-year-old man trying to avoid Lakeland Police Wednesday night lost part of his left arm in an alligator attack.

Florida Woman Gets Stuck In Banyan Tree

Police officers and firefighters are quite accustomed to helping people get out of tight jams. After all, it’s their duty to “protect and serve.”

Video: Motorist Runs Same Red Light Twice In Minutes

There’s nothing out of the ordinary about a traffic camera capturing a vehicle blowing through a red light at an intersection. A camera catching the same vehicle running the exact same light twice within minutes, however, is a little more unusual.

Gator Chomps Hunter’s Thumbs

Alligators aren’t necessarily known for playing possum, but it seems at least one has developed that ability. A 41-year-old licensed nuisance alligator trapper from the Lake County area found that out the hard way over the weekend.

Pro-Gun Mom Shot By Son Must Take Gun Safety Class

The pro-gun Florida mom who was accidentally shot in the back by her 4-year-old son in March will not face criminal charges in the case, but she has been ordered to take a gun safety class as part of a deferred prosecution agreement struck earlier this week.

Baby Python Rescued From Man’s Pants, Cops Say

A 27-year-old Holiday man stands accused of trying to smuggle a baby python out of a St. Petersburg pet store on Monday. His attempts were thwarted by the shop’s owner, police said.