Police officers are trained to face nearly every kind of situation that they could possibly encounter in the line of duty. However, officers from the Richmond Police Department, California, were in for a real surprise when they responded to a potential burglary in-progress call, only to find a dozen raccoons brawling.
In a rib-tickling social media post, the Richmond Police Department stated that officers who were responding to a call at the City Corporation Yard were prepared for a showdown with burglars. However, upon arrival, they were met with the sight of around a dozen raccoons having a 'Battle Royale', and nearly all of them scuttled when approached by the policemen.
Engaging With the 'Burglars'
According to the statement, a city employee who was working after hours at the administration office heard loud banging on the door; which sounded very similar to the noise of someone trying to break-in. Panicking, he called the police and reported a possible burglary attempt.
"Officers coordinated their response and set up a perimeter," the post said. Two policemen, Officers Branch and Kaiser, stealthily approached the location on foot to run into any likely perpetrator(s). What they found next was certainly far from what the two officers would have imagined facing.
Instead of finding masked and armed burglar(s), the two officers discovered that the source of the commotion were a dozen-odd raccoons who were engaged in a serious physical confrontation. The wittily crafted statement added, "When challenged, all but one fled west-bound. The below pictured little guy stayed behind and advised officers it was just a family dispute." A picture of the lone 'family member' accompanied the post.
The light-hearted statement concluded with the department thanking all the officers in the graveyard shift, especially Officer Hodges for "re-broadcasting the pertinent suspect descriptions and direction of flight for officer safety information."
A 'Thankful' City
As expected, the humorous recounting by the Richmond Police Department received numerous responses from social media users who did not shy away from expressing their amusement, and of course, their own wits. "Did you arrest them all? Those criminals! Thanks for keeping us safe," read one comment.
Another user wrote: "Masked bandits! Good job, RPD for unmasking these pesky criminals. Family altercations are dangerous to law enforcement, responding rabidly prevented a ring of tales for the late news." A delighted user commented, "I love the expression on the raccoon's face....he really looks like he is trying to explain."
