Thursday, April 18, 2019

Iguana swung above man's head, hurled at restaurant manager, police say - USA TODAY

A man in Ohio tried to weaponize a live iguana when he spun the lizard above his head and flung it at a restaurant manager, breaking the reptile's leg, police say.

Arnold Teeter, 49, was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and cruelty to animals in connection with the Tuesday incident at a Painesville, Ohio, restaurant, the city's police department said.

The scene unfolded after Teeter allegedly entered the restaurant and threw a menu at a waitress after he had laid down in a booth, police said.

A restaurant manager tried speaking with the man, who police said was getting louder, when Teeter allegedly pulled an iguana from under his sweatshirt and "began swinging the animal over his head in a circular motion," the department wrote in a Facebook post.

From last January: In Florida, iguanas are freezing and falling out of trees

The thrown iguana missed the manager, and the reptile slid across a tile floor, police said. Teeter then allegedly grabbed the animal by its tail and left.

Police responded but it wasn't until a later call came in reporting a disorderly man that officers found Teeter, who had been walking in traffic nearby, the department said. Officers recognized the man from surveillance video at the restaurant, and Teeter was arrested, police said.

"Upon handcuffing, officers located an approximately 2 foot iguana from under his sweatshirt," the department said. It wasn't immediately clear if Teeter had an attorney and his next court date was set for April 22.

As for the iguana, police named it "Copper" and cared for it before a local humane society took it. The iguana suffered a leg fracture that will require surgery and was in "poor body condition," police said.

Strange scene: Police: Mother tries karate, son strips and dog steals cornbread at Walmart

Contributing: The Associated Press

Follow USA TODAY's Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/04/18/iguana-swung-above-mans-head-flung-restaurant-manager-police-say/3508773002/ 2019-04-18 18:38:00Z
Share:

0 Comments:

Post a Comment