Police officers in Springfield, Ohio now have one of the most interesting on-the-job tales after a traffic stop led to the discovery of a raccoon in the driver’s seat holding a meth pipe.
Springfield Township Police Office Austin Branham was conducting a traffic stop Monday evening and pulled over a car driven by Victoria Vidal, a 55-year-old resident of Akron, Ohio. Vidal had an active warrant and a suspended driver’s license, according to a statement released by the police department.
Officer Branham detailed Vidal “without incident,” according to police, but then things took an “unusual turn.”
Vidal’s pet raccoon, named “Chewy,” was sitting in the front driver’s seat, holding a glass meth pipe. Branham’s bodycam video shows him greet Chewy with a “hey, buddy!” and reach into the car to carefully take the pipe from the furry little delinquent.
“The raccoon’s playing with her meth pipe!” Branham laughed, but then got a surprise as the raccoon pulls out yet another pipe.
“He’s trying to smoke it!” the officer exclaimed as Chewy held the pipe up to his mouth, cracking up. “There’s no way!”
“All right, all right, enough fun and games,” Branham gathered his composure.
According to police, a search of the vehicle found a “bulk amount of methamphetamine,” crack cocaine, and “three used glass meth pipes.”
Vidal has been charged with possession of drugs, three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, was cited for driving under suspension, and then was turned over to the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department for her active warrant. She may yet face additional charges for crack cocaine possession pending lab tests of the evidence seized from the vehicle.
However, it does seem that Vidal was keeping the raccoon as a pet legally. In Ohio, raccoons can be kept as pets with the proper permits, and Vidal did appear to have the “appropriate paperwork and documentation” to own Chewy as a pet, which she showed to the police officer, reported 6 ABC Action News.
The raccoon was safely placed in a pet carrier and police contacted the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to “ensure that Chewy is rehomed to a safer location,” reported NBC News.
“Thankfully, Chewy the raccoon was unharmed, and notification was made to the proper authorities to determine that she has the proper paperwork and documentation to own the raccoon,” the police statement said. “While our officers are trained to expect the unexpected, finding a raccoon holding a meth pipe is a first!”
“No raccoons were hurt or injured in this incident,” the statement continued. “As always, we remain committed to keeping our community safe — no matter what surprises may come our way.”
The Springfield police posted a video of a press conference where Branham and another officer shared their experiences with the raccoon.
(H/t: Radley Balko via Bluesky)
The post Cops Discover Pet Raccoon Holding a Meth Pipe in Woman’s Car: ‘He’s Trying to Smoke It!’ first appeared on Mediaite.
