A video that is viral on the internet right now shows a Colorado police officer fighting with a wild mountain lion with their bare hands before the animal was shot dead by authorities.
Yes, that happened.
According to reports, the incident happened on March 11, 2020.
It was revealed that the officer and her colleagues were responding to a report that the animal was underneath a trailer.
The incident happened in Loveland, Colorado, USA.
When the police arrived at the scene, they were met with rangers from the Larimer County Natural Resources.
The game wardens from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife were also there.
The lion then jumped on top of the deputy officer and kicked it.
The lion, which reportedly attacked a civilian before the police arrived, was shot dead as it was trying to run away.
Gregory Scott Paul, a resident at the RV Park, said that he came out of his house when he heard the police coming at the scene.
Upon getting out, he saw a police officer and a lion grappling on the floor.
Not something you would want to see once you get out of your house.
During an interview with the press, he said:
It started creeping towards them a little bit and they took three or four shots at it. It lunged at the lady deputy from about 10 feet away. She put her arm up and it got her on the right shoulder. Luckily she did that cause if not it probably would have gotten her right on the neck.
The police released a statement about the incident.
The statement reads:
Deputies arrived, saw the mountain lion, and tried to keep it contained. The mountain lion moved to the east into a trailer park as deputies followed in efforts to keep those residents safe. The mountain lion attacked a deputy and multiple shots were fired at the animal. The mountain lion continued moving east across the river and to a home on Black Crow Road near Highway 34. A CPW game warden shot and killed the animal near the home. The injured citizen and deputy were both transported by ambulance to local hospitals with apparent but non-life-threatening injuries inflicted by the animal.
Sheriff Justin Smith released a statement about the condition of the officer.
They said the officer was in Great Spirit.
It was confirmed that the police officer had a bit eon their shoulder.
The officer recovered from their injuries.