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Scottish cop being pursued by a ‘drone’ learns it was actually Jupiter

A cosmic mistake made one young officer the talk of the town

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By Suzie Ziegler

GLASGOW, Scotland — A two-year veteran of the Glasgow Police force was left red-faced after mistaking the planet Jupiter for a drone.

According to the Daily Record, the officer was leaving her station late Tuesday when she noticed that a bright light in the sky appeared to be “following her.” The officer jumped on the freeway but “couldn’t lose it” and called a police complaints line, saying she feared she was being “pursued” by a “drone.”

The officer was told to return to her station where she would be met by a senior officer, the report said. She was found standing in the parking lot with her hood up trying to hide from the “drone,” according to the Daily Record. That’s when she learned the bright dot was actually Jupiter, which is often visible on a clear night.

“The story is the talk of the steamie at her station. Nobody can quite believe it. She was very alarmed and spooked that she was being followed by a drone,” a police source told the Daily Record. “You can imagine the red face and embarrassment felt when it was pointed out that the bright light following her was a planet millions of miles away. This is going to haunt her for years.”

Tom Wood, a retired deputy chief constable in Scotland, agreed.

“This young lady will probably find herself with a nickname for the rest of her career,” Wood told the Daily Record. “The story will be told in years to come. The real test is how she handles it.”

[READ: What cops would tell a rookie version of themselves]

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