Florida Mom Wrestles Alligator In Front Of School

A Florida mom wrestled an alligator to the ground as it approached a local middle school. The police officer mother restrained the 7-foot long ‘gator so it would not get near any of the children. Jessica McGregor is no stranger to wrestling alligators. The Lake County Deputy and her brother often caught the reptiles when they were kids and bring them home – must to the chagrin of their mother.

Jessica McGregor, 29, said that “back in the day” alligators would crawl upon onto your land frequently. The Florida police officer said people would just catch them and toss them back into the closest “watering hole.”

The law enforcement officer said when she was growing up, folks just didn’t want to waste anyone’s time and simply took care of such matters themselves. McGregor said her two daughters were about to get out of school and she did not want them or anyone else to get hurt by the alligator.

McGregor grabbed a piece of rope and lassoed the alligator, which thrashed wildly from the unexpected capture. The Florida mom wrestled the alligator into submission and then sat on the reptile until animal control officers could arrive.

Although simply shooting the alligator was an option, Jessica McGregor did not see the point in making such a mess. The Florida police officer also did not want the middle school students to have to witness the animal being shot. The sound of a gun being fired would likely have been a very scary experience for both the students and the staff.

A bystander videotaped the Florida mom wrestle the alligator. The unseen individual offered encouragement as McGregor light-heartedly approached the dangerous task at hand. The video camera holder began the recording by saying a quick prayer for the heroic police officer mom.

McGregor calmly strapped the alligator’s mouth closed with some tape at the end of her battle with the reptile. Although an alligator’s jaws are extremely strong, they can typically be held closed with just a few wraps of old-fashioned electrical tape.

What do you think about the Florida mom wrestling the alligator in front of the school building?

[Image Via: Lake County Sheriff’s Office/Orlando Sentinel]