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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 She was surprised to learn her delivery driver had been replaced by law enforcement.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: Florida, alligator, police officer, pizza delivery, gator, Bradenton, offbeat police news

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