Police officer drives patrol car into ditch after being attacked by owl
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A police officer lost control of his patrol car and drove it into a ditch after a surprise attack on Christmas Eve - by an owl.
Lance Benjamin, a Covington police officer, was patrolling the streets of Louisiana with his windows down when he felt something hard hit him on the side of the head.
He then felt some scratching and pecking on the top of his head, and discovered than an owl had flown in through his open window and was attacking him.
“He slapped me a few times with his wings, and just kept on going with his talons,” the officer told WVUE New Orleans.
Due to the distracting company he lost control of his vehicle and drove in into a ditch.
“I finally was able to stop the car, put it in park and get out, and there he was just chilling out in the car… I bet he got a hoot out of that.”
The owl stayed in the car for about 45 minutes before flying out of the passenger side window.
After being checked over by medics, Officer Benjamin was able to return to his shift.
His collagues have bought him a toy owl to ride along with him for future patrols.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments