When Officer Christopher Martinez traded the Empire State for sunshine and swamps, he did not expect to wrangle a “perp” with scales and a long tail, which is what happened when he responded to his first alligator nuisance call.
Martinez joined the Largo Police Department in November, having transferred from New York.
Decked out in blue latex gloves, Martinez approached the wriggling gator like a rookie on his first stakeout. He paused, took a deep breath, and muttered to the reptile, “You have big teeth; I have tiny fingers.”…