Overview

• The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office released body-worn camera footage on August 4 showing the July 25 rescue of a 3- to 4-foot alligator from a backyard pool in St. Augustine
• Deputy Richardson used a pool net to corral the reptile to the pool’s edge then grabbed it by the neck and tail as it writhed on the deck
• He placed the subdued alligator in the back seat of his patrol car and buckled it in to ensure secure transport
• Richardson transported the gator to a nearby pond away from homes, following state wildlife relocation protocols
• Authorities are urging Florida residents to maintain distance from wild alligators and to call licensed trappers or law enforcement for safe removal after the widely shared footage