By Mitchell Willetts
The Charlotte Observer
PINE COUNTY, Minn. — A surprise visit from a squirrel gave a Minnesota sheriff’s deputy a fright, and led him to a secret stash hidden right in his own patrol vehicle.
According to the Pine County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy was driving along when a squirrel suddenly burst up from below his laptop and scurried across the dashboard. It stopped for a moment, “gave a quick stare down to the officer,” then frantically bounded out of view.
The deputy pulled over and opened all the doors, hoping the squirrel would take the chance to escape. The rodent didn’t appear.
The deputy went to check the trunk, and upon opening it, was met with another surprise: a huge collection of nuts. Unbeknownst to the officer, the squirrel had secretly turned his squad car into a stash house for nuts.
Police didn’t provide an official count, but based on a photo shared on Facebook by the sheriff’s office on Monday, there appears to be over 200 of them tucked away.
“Best ride along,” one person commented on the post. “Even brings his own snacks.”
Some complimented the deputy for keeping his composure and his car on the road.
“So glad the officer had control over his car,” a comment said. “I would have freaked!”
Many wondered how a squirrel could have amassed such a hoard of nuts inside the vehicle without anyone noticing. Had it been left unattended for a long time? Or was the squirrel just too crafty to catch in the act?
“This car is actually used often. We feel that this squirrel has been through some kind of ninja training,” the sheriff’s office said.
While the officer may have successfully raided its stash, the squirrel is still at large.
“These nuts have now been placed in evidence,” PCSO said. “If anyone sees a squirrel looking for his food, we are looking for said squirrel for questioning in relation to this incident.”
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