Pasco County’s Cop Fleeing Kangaroo Dies

The Kangaroo led Pasco Sheriff’s Deputies and FWC Officers on a multi-hour chase.

The story we posted last week about the Pasco Sheriff’s Office chasing a Kangaroo around the local Dade City area has taken a sad turn.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Law Enforcement Division has charged the kangaroo’s owner, John Chatfield, with allowing escape of Class III wildlife, according to The Tampa Tribune.   with a crime and the kangaroo has passed away.

FWC Spokesman Officer Baryl Martin said the kangaroo died of cardiomyopathy or “excited delirium.”

“Excited delirium or cardiomyopathy is explained to me as the animal having extra adrenaline in its system due to the fact of being darted, being chased, being pursued,” said Martin.

Wildlife officials say it was necessary to tranquilize and taser the kangaroo because of its size and the potential danger to the community.

“They’re strong and any animal when cornered can be dangerous so we’re trying to minimize as much as we could the danger to the public safety as well as the danger to the animal,” said Martin.

The sheriff’s office said it was “saddened” to hear about the death of the kangaroo.

“Until an official necropsy and cause of death can be determined, it is a little premature to comment on what may have led to its death,” the sheriff’s office said in a release.

“The Pasco Sheriff’s Office is saddened to hear the death of the kangaroo,” noted Doug Tobin, Pasco Sheriff’s Office spokesman, in an email to media on Friday night, June 7. “Until an official necropsy and cause if death can be determined it is a little premature to comment on what may have led to its death.”

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