• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Advertise
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Subscribe
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Leadership
    • Do you know your emotional intelligence?
      Addressing racism in the workplace
      Supervisory actions: Deliberate style or weak skills?
      Are performance evaluations worth the effort?
      Leaders — the good, the bad and the horrible
  • Topics
    • Leadership
      • Do you know your emotional intelligence?
        Addressing racism in the workplace
        Supervisory actions: Deliberate style or weak skills?
        Are performance evaluations worth the effort?
        Leaders — the good, the bad and the horrible
    • Editor’s Picks
      • The future is here
        A winding road
        Do you know your emotional intelligence?
        Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding
        “Hold my beer”
    • On the Job
      • A winding road
        Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding
        I brought home a dog
        Six Mexican cartels designated as terrorist organizations
        Police chief: Officers likely prevented further violence in Minnesota...
    • Labor
      • LEO labor and community outreach — make the haters scoff
        Racing with a purpose
        Dallas Police Department drops college requirement for police...
        Small Texas town left without a police force after firing its last...
        Port Authority Police Department welcomes 71 new officers
    • Tech
      • The future is here
        How local police departments can combat cybercrime
        Your website is your front desk
        Telegram investigations
        Florida sheriff’s office deploys cutting-edge forensic tool to...
    • Training
      • Using critical thinking to crack the case
        Navigating cultural and language barriers
        Why you should pocket carry
        The future is here
        Training for tomorrow
    • Policy
      • Proactive policing: What it is and how to do it
        California makes police misconduct records publicly available
        A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
        No degree, no badge?
        Mobs on wheels
    • Health/Wellness
      • The mindfulness practice of conscious awareness to enhance resilience
        “Hold my beer”
        When empathy backfires
        Navigating retirement
        Keeping work at work and home at home
    • Community
      • A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
        Operation Brain Freeze keeps community cool
        Turning over a new leaf
        Bridging the Gap Between Cops and Kids
        An unexpected reunion
    • Offbeat
      • Not eggzactly a perfect heist
        Pizza … with a side of alligator?
        Wisconsin man charged with impersonating Border Patrol agent twice in...
        Only in California?
        Durango, Colorado, police hop into action after unusual 9-1-1 call
    • We Remember
      • Honoring the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
        Team Romeo
        National Police Week 2025
        Honoring Fallen Heroes
        What’s with the white chairs?
    • HOT Mail
      • The War on Cops Continues Unabated
  • On the Job
    • A winding road
      Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding
      I brought home a dog
      Six Mexican cartels designated as terrorist organizations
      Police chief: Officers likely prevented further violence in Minnesota...
  • Labor
    • LEO labor and community outreach — make the haters scoff
      Racing with a purpose
      Dallas Police Department drops college requirement for police...
      Small Texas town left without a police force after firing its last...
      Port Authority Police Department welcomes 71 new officers
  • Tech
    • The future is here
      How local police departments can combat cybercrime
      Your website is your front desk
      Telegram investigations
      Florida sheriff’s office deploys cutting-edge forensic tool to...
  • Training
    • Using critical thinking to crack the case
      Navigating cultural and language barriers
      Why you should pocket carry
      The future is here
      Training for tomorrow
  • Policy
    • Proactive policing: What it is and how to do it
      California makes police misconduct records publicly available
      A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
      No degree, no badge?
      Mobs on wheels
  • Health/Wellness
    • The mindfulness practice of conscious awareness to enhance resilience
      “Hold my beer”
      When empathy backfires
      Navigating retirement
      Keeping work at work and home at home
  • Community
    • A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
      Operation Brain Freeze keeps community cool
      Turning over a new leaf
      Bridging the Gap Between Cops and Kids
      An unexpected reunion
  • Offbeat
    • Not eggzactly a perfect heist
      Pizza … with a side of alligator?
      Wisconsin man charged with impersonating Border Patrol agent twice in...
      Only in California?
      Durango, Colorado, police hop into action after unusual 9-1-1 call
  • We Remember
    • Honoring the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
      Team Romeo
      National Police Week 2025
      Honoring Fallen Heroes
      What’s with the white chairs?
  • HOT Mail
    • The War on Cops Continues Unabated
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
Search

Offbeat

Pizza … with a side of alligator?

APB Team Published March 18, 2025 @ 6:00 am PDT

Bradenton P.D.

A Florida woman received an unexpected delivery when a police officer stepped in to bring her pizza — thanks to an 8-foot alligator lurking beneath a vehicle in her driveway.

The Bradenton Police Department shared a video of the unusual call on X, featuring Officer Tolson responding to the scene.

“Pizza…with a side of gator?” the department posted. “Officer Tolson responded to calls about an 8-foot gator in a 55+ community, intercepted a terrified pizza delivery driver and ensured a hungry customer was fed (and a hungry gator wasn’t). All in a day’s work!”

In the officer’s body camera footage, Tolson can be heard warning a pizza delivery driver to stop approaching because of the large alligator. The driver, clearly nervous, considered an alternate route before asking the officer to deliver the pizza instead.

“Do you want to do it, officer?” she asked, handing Tolson the pizza and receipt. Meanwhile, a concerned neighbor called the woman who had ordered the pizza, cautioning her not to step outside.

Despite the warning, the woman opened her front door. Tolson immediately instructed her to go back inside.

“Oh my God!” she exclaimed. “My heavens! There’s an alligator under my car!”

Concerned about her dinner, she asked, “Where’s my pizza?”

Tolson assured her he would meet her at the back door with it. Clearly startled by the situation, she responded, “Holy s–t!”

When the officer reached the back door, he was met by the woman, who had cash in hand. She was surprised to learn her delivery driver had been replaced by law enforcement.

“You’re a policeman?” she asked. “They called you?”

After exchanging the pizza for payment, Tolson promised to return the money to the delivery driver. Before the officer left, the woman wanted a photo of the massive reptile. To keep her safe, Tolson took a picture of the gator with her phone. Wildlife authorities later arrived to remove the alligator from the property.

Bradenton P.D.

Categories: Offbeat Tags: gator, Bradenton, offbeat police news, Florida, alligator, police officer, pizza delivery

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • Honoring the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
  • Team Romeo
  • Proactive policing: What it is and how to do it
  • National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Announces July 2025 Officers of the Month
  • California makes police misconduct records publicly available
  • A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
  • Using critical thinking to crack the case
  • Navigating cultural and language barriers
  • NLEOMF to Honor Law Enforcement During Police Weekend
  • Why you should pocket carry

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com | (800) 234-0056.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

The future is here

The future is here

August 21, 2025

A winding road

A winding road

August 20, 2025

Do you know your emotional intelligence?

Do you know your emotional intelligence?

August 17, 2025

Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding

Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding

August 11, 2025

Policies | Consent Preferences | Copyright © 2025 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close

Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.