CLEVELAND, Texas — A police officer in Cleveland, Texas was bitten by a large alligator while trying to wrangle it earlier this week.
CPD Sgt. David Edwards and other officers were trying to help Liberty County deputies move the 10-foot gator off State Highway 105 near U.S. 59.
It was after midnight on Tuesday and they were concerned the gator was a traffic hazard and could have caused a major accident because of its size.
Cleveland PD said they spent over an hour sounding sirens to try and get the gator off the road but it wouldn't budge. Citizens also tried to help coax it off the roadway.
When nothing worked, the officers decided to get a noose around the gator's snout so they could drag it off the roadway.
Sgt. Edwards squatted down to help with the rope and that's when the gator attacked and bit the officer's arm. He was able to break free but was bleeding badly so other officers used a tourniquet and then rushed him to the hospital. Edwards suffered fractures to his wrist and hand and a deep laceration and he had to have surgery. He was released from the hospital on Thursday and is recovering at home.
“Thank goodness it was not his strong hand, it will take time but he is expected to make a full recovery," CPD said in a statement. "Sgt. Edwards is truly blessed and agrees 'he was a bit too close to the gator,' and now realizes it could have been [worse."]
The gator was captured and put down.
