Goose leads officers on wild chase

**Michelle** · 03-26-07, 10:02 PM

RIALTO -- Officers Robert Morales and Adrian Duque searched Bender Park late Sunday for a gunman.

Instead, they found themselves on a wild goose chase. Literally.

The Rialto officers apprehended a 3-foot white goose that was running in the middle of Lilac Avenue.

"It was one of the best arrests of the night," said Rialto police Sgt. Paul Wing.

The officers responded at 9:35 p.m. to a call of shots heard in the area near Bender Park in the 100 block of north Lilac Avenue. They checked the area, but found nothing.

That's when they nearly ran into the goose with their squad car, Duque said.

"The goose ends up taking off running in the middle of the street, cars were trying to swerve out of the way to try avoiding it, almost causing several traffic collisions," Duque said.

The officers drove after the goose, stopped traffic at Lilac and Rialto avenues and got out of their car.

Their fine-feathered friend took a gander at Morales and started chasing him, Duque said.

The partners approached the bird from the front and behind, grabbing the goose by its neck and body, and somehow managed to avoid getting bit in the process.

"It took a lot of tactics and planning," Duque said.

The officers placed the bird in the back of their patrol car, an area police call the cage. No handcuffs were used, but the goose squawked loudly in protest.

Officers brought the goose back to the station and placed it in a temporary holding facility for animals. The city's humane resource officers later took the bird into custody.

Duque, who has worked for Rialto police two years, said there are no lakes or farms in the area, so it's a mystery how the goose ended up there. He said it was the strangest call he has handled so far.

"I don't know if it was because it was dark or because it was injured or what," Duque said. "It didn't try to fly."

Slide Show (4 Pics)
http://sbsun.mycapture.com/mycapture...592&thispage=1

Link: http://www.sbsun.com/ci_5523564

**Jackalope** · 03-26-07, 10:04 PM

Geese are disgusting, vile creatures. Why the hell didn't they just break it's neck and hang it in a tree (to serve as a warning to other geese)?

**Michelle** · 03-26-07, 10:11 PM

Sounds and looks like they had more fun catching him then they would choking, shooting or zapping the hell out of it.

I just wonder if the "gunman" was at the park for the goose...

**Jenna** · 03-26-07, 10:14 PM

Silly goose!

**Buttercup** · 03-26-07, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by Michelle

"It was one of the best arrests of the night," said Rialto police Sgt. Paul Wing.

Somewhere in there is a joke about the goose and Sgt Wing, but I can't quite figure it out. Anyone?

**BEB** · 03-26-07, 10:53 PM

Not much of a joke writer, but since we're on the topic of police and birds...

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/204105/turkey_chases_cop/

Anyone got a personal wild critter story?

**tapout** · 03-27-07, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by BugEyedBeast

Anyone got a personal wild critter story?

ive been attacked by a pit bull, a freakin iguana (it actually squared off with me and whipped me in the boot with its tail), and some douchebags cockatiel, on the job. i hate birds, and the stupid thing was just flying aorund my head, nipping at me. the guy had like 10 birds just roaming the house...bird shit everywhere. who lives like that? thankfully the mccall parrot was in a cage, cause i probably would have shot that thing if it came after me.