Viral bodycam video captures Florida deputy wrangling large, runaway bird: "I've never handcuffed an emu"
A Florida deputy is going viral after bodycam video captured the moments he apprehended an evasive and hostile suspect, the sheriff's office said. That suspect? A large, flightless bird.
On Friday, the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (SJCO) responded to reports of a runaway emu on County Road 13 about 20 miles west of St. Augustine. SJCO Cpl. Keisler, whose bodycam video was shared on the sheriff's office Facebook page, captured the entire incident.
"Interesting, I'm in pursuit of an emu," Keisler is heard saying after he picked up the call.
Upon arrival, Keisler located the large bird and began following it.
"I'm currently behind the emu," he's heard telling dispatchers. "He's running back southbound in the middle of the road."
Once he gets close, Keisler is then seen stepping out of his patrol vehicle and slowly begins approaching the emu, trying to get the bird's attention. Once he gets the emu's attention, Keisler then attempts to herd the bird off the road.
"You have some big ol' talons," Keisler is heard saying as he continues commanding the emu off the road.
Once off the road, Keisler attempted to secure the emu; however, "the large bird ignored his commands, kicked several times using its large talons and fled on foot recklessly," SJCO said.
After a short chase, Keisler cornered the emu near what appeared to be its possible enclosure, from which it fled.
"I'll be honest with you, I've never handcuffed an emu before," Keisler is heard telling someone off-camera. "But, they'll fit around his legs and that'll keep him from kicking."
Once Keisler got close enough to the emu, he secured the bird with a makeshift lasso and handcuffed its legs to render the talons useless, SJCO said.
"Are you done resisting?" Keisler asked the emu. "I don't want to have to charge you — don't talk back to me."
After talking the emu down, Keisler was able to detain the emu without causing any harm or injury to the bird, SJCO said.
"In my 25 years, I've never handcuffed an emu," Keisler said on Facebook. "This is definitely a new one."
According to SJCO, the emu was then reunited with its owner and returned home safely, and "all criminal charges against the emu were dropped."
Emu facts
Emus are large, flightless birds that are native to Australia. The avian species is the second-largest living bird in the world — only the ostrich is bigger — and the largest Australian bird, standing at an average height of 5.7 feet and weighing between 110 and 132 pounds, according to the Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.
In Florida, it is legal to own an emu but it depends on the intended use of the animal (i.e. livestock or pet) and requires adherence to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) regulations, with commercial farming often exempt from personal pet permits but requiring permits for public sales and display, and owners must follow federal rules enforced by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) if the emus aren't strictly livestock.
Emu farms are specifically mentioned as exemptions to certain permit rules for public sale and exhibition, but people still need to follow the right regulations depending on their specific situation.
According to the National Zoo, emus are also fast runners, capable of reaching speeds up to 31 mph as their long legs enable them to walk considerable distances or outrun danger (or the police).