Police rush to pond after reports of an alligator lurking – only to find inflatable pool toy

By Harrison Moore via SWNS

Stafford County Sheriff's Deputy Arron Morelli Virginia received calls from multiple witnesses that the reptile had entered a nearby pond from the shoreline on September 6.

Anxious to put his alligator wrangling skills to work, Morelli, who works in the animal control department, responded to the pond.

When he arrived, he breathed a sigh of relief after discovering what was thought to be a terrifying carnivorous reptile was actually a crocodile inflatable pool float.

A spokesman from Strafford County Sheriff's Office issued this statement:

"The position of animal control officer requires the deputy to answer all types of law enforcement calls. They must be capable of answering a robbery call one minute and removing a snake from a residence the next. However, trapping an alligator is far down the list of possibilities for our police department. We're pleased to announce that residents can now sleep a little easier knowing there is not an alligator problem in Stafford County!"