Not every call in a patrol shift ends with sirens, paperwork, or a tow truck. Sometimes it ends with a fuzzy little bird of prey riding shotgun to the vet’s office. That is exactly what happened recently in Cherokee County, where two sheriff’s deputies proved that public service covers a lot more ground than traffic stops and 911 calls.
The story started the way a lot of good stories do, with someone noticing something wrong and refusing to just drive past it. A deputy on patrol spotted an injured baby hawk that clearly needed help. Rather than guess at what to do next, the deputy did the smart thing and called in reinforcements, specifically a fellow deputy known around the department for a genuine passion for birds.
If your precinct has a resident bird nerd, apparently, this is exactly when you want them on speed dial…