VERO BEACH — A concerned officer fatally shot an aggressive 8-foot long, 210-pound alligator spotted crawling near the back porch of a home last week, police said. The incident happened less than half-a-mile from Rosewood Magnet Elementary School.
“The alligator had made its way to a screen-enclosed back door to a residence. A supervisor on scene deemed the large alligator as aggressive and made the decision to humanely dispatch it,” Vero Beach police said in a statement. “We never take the decision to use deadly force lightly. Our primary responsibility is the safety of the public.”
The shooting comes as state wildlife officials warned residents about alligators going into mating season, a dangerous time of year when the creatures are more aggressive…