By Mark Price
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
REIDSVILLE, N.C. — A police officer was assaulted in his patrol car by an angry bird hiding in the backseat, according to officials in North Carolina.
The unlikely encounter happened in Reidsville Friday, July 25, when the heat index was near 105 degrees.
It ended with the bird being booted from the car, after the officer took a very strange selfie that is getting laughs on social media.
“One of our officers had an unexpected passenger ... while briefly stepping away from his vehicle. A curious bird took the opportunity to hop inside unnoticed,” the police department wrote in a July 25 Facebook post.
“It wasn’t until our officer felt pops to the back of his head while driving that he realized he wasn’t alone!”
The officer’s reaction was not revealed, but their selfie shows the bird wore an unrepentant expression as it stood on the driver’s seat headrest.
It appeared to be a juvenile American robin, a common species in the state that can reach 11 inches in length, according to All About Birds.
The department didn’t reveal the officer’s name, or say how he evicted the bird. However, it was handled “safely” for both the cop and the bird, officials said.
The selfie has gotten dozens of comments and reactions on social media, including “jail bird” puns and references to a police “aviation unit.”
“You know you have been parked too long when the birds start making nests in the car,” Lee Farris wrote on Facebook.
“The bird just wanted some air conditioning” Jackie Lemons posted.
Reidsville is about a 95-mile drive northwest from Raleigh.
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