A Louisiana man bit off more than he could chew when he allegedly tried to evade arrest… and, in the process, almost had a bit chewed off of him…
Over the weekend, on June 7, a Louisiana man named Victor Rivas, 40, was allegedly spotted driving his Toyota “recklessly” on the interstate.
Troopers with Louisiana State Police Troop B responded to Interstate 10 in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, with additional reports coming in that the driver suffered a tire blowout after allegedly striking a concrete barrier.
The vehicle was eventually located by Troopers as Rivas was driving down Interstate 310 in St. Charles Parish. Conducting a traffic stop, a Trooper observed that Rivas was allegedly under the influence.
“During the DWI investigation, Rivas fled on foot and jumped from the elevated portion of Interstate 310 into the swamp,” a news release from the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office states.
From there, the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office was notified about the incident, and responded to the scene to offer assistance in apprehending Rivas.
Soon after, the report notes the following, writing with creative flourishes:
“Rivas was seen walking along Airline Highway. When deputies approached to take him into custody, he fled again into another portion of the swamp. That’s when an alligator joined the law enforcement team and tried to convince Rivas that surrendering was the better option, but he thought otherwise. Rivas was attacked by the alligator and sustained injuries to both of his arms.”
Watch the bodycam footage of the alligator attack, here:
Even after being injured on both of his arms, Rivas allegedly continued to flee before he was found again by a law enforcement drone team.
“Drone operators communicated with deputies in the area, who apprehended Rivas as he was exiting the swamp,” the report notes, adding that Rivas we was transported to a nearby hospital where he was “treated for non-life-threatening injuries.”
The report then adds, “The alligator was not injured and has since returned to its regular patrol of the swamp.”
Upon being released from the hospital, Rivas was transported to the Nelson Coleman Correctional Center, where he was booked on the following charges:
- Operating a vehicle while impaired – 1st Offense; and
- Resisting an officer.
“Additional warrants were obtained for Hit and Run and Careless Operation in connection with the earlier crash in Jefferson Parish,” a separate news release shared by the Louisiana State Police noted.
In the Facebook post of the news release issued by the Sheriff’s Office about this incident, the department put together some humorous A.I. images of the alligator dressed as a deputy, which can be seen here:
Upon being released from the hospital, Rivas was transported to the Nelson Coleman Correctional Center, where he was booked on the following charges:
Operating a vehicle while impaired – 1st Offense; and
Resisting an officer.
“Additional warrants were obtained for Hit and Run and Careless Operation in connection with the earlier crash in Jefferson Parish,” a separate news release shared by the Louisiana State Police noted.
In the Facebook post of the news release issued by the Sheriff’s Office about this incident, the department put together some humorous A.I. images of the alligator dressed as a deputy, which can be seen here:
