Who is lying? FWC Officers "Accidentally" Destroy Pet With a Nail gun!

Here's some unseen footage that was captured on bodycam nearly 14 months ago. It shows the officers threatening Chris with Jailtime if he did not give up custody of those animals.
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[@Aaron__Parker]

If an officer of any kind turns their body cam off while interacting with the public, an investigation should take place immediately.

[@thesenuts603]

should, but won't.

[@JayAllDay07130]

Good luck with that. We live in America. Our law enforcement of any kind is a fukn joke

[@altairtheeagle]

Won’t happen, that’s why “thugs” riot when it does happen, just to be fair, the law applies to ALL especially those imposing it.

[@timm2396]

by the offending officers within their own station where they will find no wrongdoing and will add additional charges onto the civilians that they were communicating with as of the time of the record.

[@KinaIchi]

You all are speaking very boldly on something you know nothing about. You say our law enforcement is a joke? It’s not law enforcement in that case. It’s YOU speaking and spreading false information on your OWN false ideologies. Not to mention, where the fuck would you go?😂 you wanna go to North Korea? Where the president starves his community to fund for bombs to RUIN THE WORLD? You wanna go to China? Where everyone is willing to do anything to make even a few dollars? Think…. Before…….. you…….. speak. that’s the problem with the Continental United States’ economy. We as a society are to quick to judge after seeing ONE instance of something that didn’t go the best way it could have.

[@jessicap4998]

All I'm seeing and hearing is that Chris was desperately trying to do the right thing and that the FWC dropped the ball on *multiple* levels, *multiple* times.

[@dustincaso6781]

If he wanted to do the right thing, then he never would have had those snakes in a state like Florida. Period. Do you have any idea the amount of sheer devastation these snakes and other invasive species have done to Floridas wildlife and ecosystem?

[@nagi3720]

​@@dustincaso6781 Doing a deep and long research, RETICULATED pythons actually AREN'T invasive to Florida and are in NO WAY any close or would have any potential of being an invasive species. In fact, the invasive reptiles of the State of Florida are: BURMESE Pythons, Iguanas, and Tegus. Chris coffee only had 5 BURMESE pythons. The rest, aside from the BOA, were RETICULATED pythons. FWC have stayed that if you CURRENTLY have these pythons, you can KEEP your pet until a permit gets passed. The first thing the officers should've done were grandfather those pythons in, NOT euthanize them. Also, those snakes were CAPTIVE BRED and properly, securely, kept in their enclosures. If they wanted to prevent invasive snakes from overpopulating, they would've started with WILD snakes at the Everglades instead. ALSO, the native species have actually been FIGHTING OFF the invasive species rather well. All of Chris Coffees snakes were microchipped, properly and securely kept in their enclosure. AND had LEGAL PERMITS to be kept. Cats are INVASIVE SPECIES in ALL parts of the United States of America. Every single State. And they overpopulate many areas of the Country, and successful at populating at a high chance of survival even as ferals or strays. They are detrimental to native bird, rodent and insect species across the Country. But obviously we shouldn't just go about killing cats, especially if they're someone's pet.

[@Teuwufel]

@@dustincaso6781 Are you really that dense, or are you just pretending? These snakes are PETS. How would they do anything to the ecosystem, when they are kept in terrariums in HOMES? They would DIE in the wild, nor they belong in the wild, just like you don't let your dogs and cats outside. (Or DO you?) His snakes were LEGAL. He was TRYING to buy himself few more days of time to rehome all of them, since he rehomed already most of the snakes. Also they KILLED HIS PET THAT IS LEGAL IN THE STATE. And she was pregnant. I am at this point sure that not only you don't know anything, you're just fucking stupid. You probably enjoy torturing animals like these fuckers.

[@yomommalikesmydog]

@@dustincaso6781he had a permit to have them

[@ventabIack]

@@dustincaso6781 he was allowed to own whatever snakes he wanted as long as he had a permit, which he did. and to get a permit, you have to follow very "strict biosecurity and caging measures." on top of that, all of his snakes were microchipped so even in the extremely unlikely event one of them escaped, they would have found it. why are you trying to blame him when he followed protocol?

[@joshuastevens3100]

His reaction truly breaks me. It’s so distressing and difficult to deal with the death of a pet.

[@deerdiary4705]

I'm crying for this man's loss. I'm so sorry this happened to you. All your hard work and love you put into these animals was taken from you by the very people that are suppose to protect you. My heart goes out to you.

[@GrumpyIan]

So pathetic that he called them nonstop and never got an answer. It's almost like they didn't answer on purpose to make sure they can kill his snakes.

[@snekysneks]

I'm still convinced the man in the blue shirt killed the boa out of spite for being filmed. The FWC is a joke of an organization.

[@ladymiaeriksson5809]

Thats what I was thinking to

[@GrillMasterP88]

American freedom at its best.

[@griffman3803]

It doesn't even surprise me, it's typical government bureaucracy at work. Unhelpful and against you.

[@jtrades2134]

That’s honestly just any government. They never answer the phone for just about anything.

[@cara9648]

Wow. I don't blame him for being angry. He called repeatedly, got no response from them, just for them to charge him with a crime. That's some BS.

[@houndgirl7365]

What do you expect from an institution who makes money out of people innocent or not. Florida is corrupt hell just look at their governor the political swine DeSantis is. What else do you expect from a liar on the top it corrupts all the systems makes you wonder how the rest are acting as well smfh

[@chonkitman8920]

This shit is crazy bro, it;s an animal. You can't "repair" it. There's no way back. My hearts broken although I'm not interested in snakes

[@cara9648]

@@chonkitman8920 Seriously! You can't bring her back to life. Snakes are my favorite animal; this crushed me.

[@danielorlovaquinn]

And the worst part was that the guy in blue PURPOSELY killed his pet boa who wasn't in the list of animals they were sent to massacre

[@cara9648]

@@danielorlovaquinn Seriously, watching him made me so angry.

[@blackoutthecat1439]

100 thousand dollars worth of baby snakes. Bro, there is no way these officers were unaware of the value of that snake.

[@dcatura1]

No! One snake, by its self, was worth $100k.

[@jessies6502]

Probably the most evil statement of all time: "I was just following orders."

[@zachbredeson7976]

Yep, I was just following orders, if that isn't nazi f****** ideology right there. Do what you're told, don't think for yourself

[@Glennyco]

You obviously were never in the military .

[@elyjahcortes9215]

​@Glennyco he probably wasn't

[@jimmypeeps8471]

Military isn't an excuse bud. You think God cares you were just following orders? Lol 😂

[@imperialhistorian4201]

@@Glennyco Same military that did the My Lai and Kandahar massacre? You people are f***ing disgrace.

[@kyleheinz6785]

FWC officer should absolutely be charged with consequences!!!! This is sickening.

[@YochevedDesigns]

Appropriate consequences should be for all officers to be bit by venomous snakes while the rest of the reptile community sits around and says "Antivenom? Never heard of it. Good luck, buddy."

[@styxmin]

​@@YochevedDesignsYes! That would be cool

[@Venom-kf6jp]

@@YochevedDesigns I have heard of Karma

[@Dawn_McNair]

All that were involved!

[@havok9001]

also each officer there sure be banned for life from owning any pets & get a lawsuit deep up there ass for breaking the law if they cant say what law been broken to the owner of the animal

[@Saberrex1]

Man... that was beyond corrupt in regards to what those FWC officers did. Chris tried to appeal to get his deadline extended and they did NOTHING! They basically trapped him in bureaucracy and used it to keep him from getting his snakes rehomed. The FWC needs to be held accountable, and these officers should face consequences, possibly even job termination.

[@jongrose5870]

Devils advocate, but bureaucracy is not quick. It didn’t sound like this was an exception. Regardless of the multiple screw ups morally and professionally of the fwc we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that Chris, although extremely having every right to be upset is not completely free of fault. I think unfortunately if anything he put all his eggs in the extension basket, and mainly base that off the “grandfathered” comment he made. Now I don’t know the time frame it takes to move snakes, but I’m wondering and would like to know how many snakes he delayed for breeding purposes since there were smaller individual snakes there. I know this is his livelihood however if the law changes you shouldn’t continue your operation at a normal capacity for in my mind the potential legal consequences of being in possession of an illegal animal in turn would make you a criminal if the appeals, extensions, or exemption process falls through and you can’t move them before the deadline. He is surely a victim and so was his boa, and they clearly messed up but he isn’t 100% innocent neither unfortunately.

[@Kirdex90]

From what I understand, and I may very well be wrong, but he wasn’t actually breaking any law owning the snakes as he had them before the law making them illegal was passed. From what I’ve heard there’s a part of the law that says something like if you owned the animal prior to the passing of the law you could keep it until death but you were no longer allowed to breed them.

[@PanosSkarp]

This whole case was ridiculous from the beginning. How did they expect him to get rid of all the snakes in such a small time frame.... And then sending the most incompetent officers.... If he wasn't recording they would have twisted this story soooo much

[@GrasshopperKelly]

@@jongrose5870 Except there's a video of someone claiming the FWC wouldn't seize or terminate any snakes. Claiming such "allegations" were "misinformation". That the owners would be allowed to keep them until the animal's death. According to the law, they were all legal animals anyway. Secondly he didn't put all the eggs in that basket, he'd already sold off over 100 of them, but couldn't find more buyers for the rest in time. As they talked to him about (on the body cam footage).

[@jongrose5870]

@@GrasshopperKelly I know I saw that video too, however that was before the law went into effect, it’s a travesty how they did. and i understand he moved 100 of them my meaning behind what i said was, did he continue to breed them and try to sell them up to that point under the hope that he would get an extension or exemption. I don’t blame him for doing so since that is probably a large part of his income right there

[@anamericancelt6534]

"I'm from the government and I'm here to help."- The 9 most dangerous words.

[@johnnylego807]

These people need to have files charged against them!!! Animal cruelty, Massive DAMAGES, i am so angry by this. Absolutely sickening!!! Thankyou danny for all the work you do!

[@jenniferdewitt7511]

he didnt "ask" them...he reluctantly agreed after they surprise visited him and threatened him with more heavy fines and legal action and then offered to "make it all go away" if he agreed to let them do it.

[@Dr.RatioSnail]

And they still didn't make it all go away they charged him.

[@jenniferdewitt7511]

@@Dr.RatioSnail yep exactly

[@melissaf.5898]

I’m sure he was afraid of being arrested 😢

[@mookinbabysealfurmittens]

A lesson in media literacy. And no shade to OP - I'm just adding on to your points. Cos in general, it's good to be aware of _framing_ used in a news story. And of the sources; the news, especially local/affiliate, often gets its stories direct from the police when they're involved, and they will frame things in their own favour, and to cast them in the best light (or outright lie). They often use "passive subject" style as well - e.g. "officers arrived on the scene, [blah blah] a dog was k///ed when an officer had no choice but to" rather than "an officer k///ed a dog, claiming he 'felt threatened'." It's clear they talked to the snake owner more than just the "shocked response" clip, and included some of what he said too, which is nice. I hope the piece gets broader coverage. It's unfortunate that almost everything, to get picked up by the news, requires making a scene, "going viral", &/or incessantly being really annoying about it. (The latter, nobody except the FWC, ig; I meant that one as a [sad but true] joke.)

[@jenniferdewitt7511]

@@mookinbabysealfurmittens Ive seen them do the same things with crimes against kids, they will call it like nonconsensual or unwanted contact and they will call the child a young lady instead of just calling them a child and calling the crime what it is, (grape - g), which oddly enough if you type in youtube comments no matter the context will get you admin action. They definitely have training in putting a spin on things.

[@diecirl6637]

Every cop and wildlife official should need to have a body cam on at all times while they’re on the job, and turning it off for any reason should be an offense in and of itself

[@snekysneks]

Agreed. Especially considering all the special treatment they get.

[@1TinyTrex]

Look into how the PSNI operates. Body cam footage is always to be turned on during interactions that need to be recorded. It doesnt need to be on when they use the loo etc (therefore not on at all times) however if they make an arrest and have no footage of the arrest when a camera is on their chest then they ned to have a crazy good reason or they get in to hot water

[@IDoABitOfTrollin]

Medical stuff and minors information shouldn't be public information, you can fight me about that.

[@diecirl6637]

@@IDoABitOfTrollin it doesn’t have to be public all the time but 100% of their time on the job should be recorded

[@diecirl6637]

@@1TinyTrex that’s perfect I see no reason why this isn’t the standard everywhere

[@dyllondavis3215]

So let me get this straight. The state charged him with possessing the snakes, then made him keep the snakes longer? This is insane.

[@powerrangerblue8566]

Dude legality in everything is super fucked

[@G30RG3KA]

The western system is fucked.

[@ThePepperedMelon]

​@@G30RG3KAtell me about it, they are trying to start a war before the election this year and they act as if anybody would show up for a draft over this dog water..former shell country.

[@moosehand8721]

Those pigs speak with forked tongues that would make the snakes envious.

[@HowltheWizard]

Never stop Donny, this world needs you to keep bringing this stuff to everyones attention. Thank you and Kevin for being amazing.

[@Snakeman19781]

Thank you Donny for bringing this to everyone attention

[@NewEnglandReptile]

You are quite welcome. K

[@lunatic13]

@@NewEnglandReptile Kevin, you are my HERO! Donny keep it up! You both rock!

[@melissadanielle629]

💯 truth !

[@melissajennings5922]

@@lunatic13 yes!!! My hero and my spirit animal! We are not worthy of Kevin and Donny!

[@kritterkyle]

Sounds like they set him up to fail from the beginning of it all, guy's clearly trying to comply with everything they said he had to do

[@groverjones1855]

Yes they did set him up

[@glass1258]

Ya they did it on purpose

[@cincityserpents]

Absolutely.

[@badxradxandy]

Randy Weaver

[@GrillMasterP88]

The American way

[@kristenpayne2838]

These idiots did EVERYTHING they could to make him fail. Chris did everything he could TO succeed. I’m scared of snakes but still cried at the loss….🥺❤️‍🩹🫶🇨🇦

[@xzx4696]

You have no right to comment on American politics your Canadian your country is a horrible country, your country is a shiter America "These idiots did EVERYTHING they could to make him fail" look at your military your government your country is worse so stfu Canadian you don't know anything about freedom knock off America

[@fatonyalmitchell3281]

Hearing his scream 😢

[@Exquailibur]

The thing that breaks my heart is how understanding Chris is being despite the unfair situation and infringement of his rights, he is being far more kind than they deserve and it hurts my soul.

[@NewEnglandReptile]

We will continue to expose this absolute abuse of power and the use of misinformation to cloud the facts. To suggest the owner asked the fwc officers to Kill his Snakes is plain disgusting. They disguise the true details and seek to blame Chris for their horrid actions. 4 officers show up to do what? To play cards? They came to put the smack down on Chris and they did! If we don’t stand up For Florida’s keepers then no one will! Remember, if you are in Florida and have permitted species and you speak up You are “open season” for retaliation! We have to show how bad it is and it’s going to get much worse!!!! USark Florida is our one single voice! Kevin. PS. More to come, please, please comment and spread the word, they need our help!

[@zian1182]

thank you

[@melissaf.5898]

Kevin speaking the sad truth here! Thanks Kevin and Donny😢

[@KittenCece]

+

[@MilleniumNemesis]

Please keep on doing what you and Kev are doing, both for the animals and informing people of the facts. These bunch of see-you-next-tuesday's need to have their comeuppances and karma to balance this situation out. Humans are the most invasive species on this planet, it severely upsets me that humans can do stuff like this, it really does

[@jyvaineorchids2255]

@@MilleniumNemesis absolutely true, we're more invasive than ticks

[@matthewnelson9868]

Basically he is screwed. Can't sell them to be in compliance, "you are being charged for being in possession of these snakes, but we want you to keep the snakes and if anything is missing you will be in trouble."

[@UserIsChanging]

Yep, totally goes against our rights

[@Heidelmann]

​@@UserIsChanging some Spanish Inquisition shit

[@wilsonamber36]

This makes me sick. So so sad. I pray they are brought to justice.

[@silaskuemmerle2505]

Not gonna happen

[@lissylissard]

This left me stunned, I'm so sorry this happened to the owner. Such a tragic loss of life 😢

[@SeverusSnape12345]

To me, it looks like the FWC is still to blame. They failed to answer his questions. They failed to let him know about the new license, they failed to contact him on what he should do to get the new license. And their inspectors backed him into a corner and basically forced him to sign the paperwork. That wasn't voluntary. They were clearly not going to leave until he signed the paperwork that signed them over to the FWC for "euthanasia" which was more like slaughter. That was coerced. That is illegal. I hope he is able to sue the FWC and those officers. I hope he wins and I hope the FWC and those officers suffer the consequences. Also, the body cams should be kept on at all times while they are on the property, uncovered and unmuted. Covering them up, muting them, and turning them off alone should be considered illegal and they should face charges for that too.

[@FrootzKat]

The problem is that nobody wants to do their fucking jobs correctly so they will do literally anything to avoid serving the people or treating them with respect. Just people too lazy to help this guy when he called and just said whatever not my problem if he doesn't guess all of the requirements to keep his snakes alive in time. I have customer service reps literally hang up on me for asking shit they don't know the answer to off the top of their heads after waiting on hold for 30 minutes. The second it looks like they have to do work other than apologizing for the inconvenience and asking you to turn it off and on they bail.

[@SeverusSnape12345]

@Soralover2008 so very true. I've encountered this myself so many times. I've even had this happen in person too. I asked where something was, they blatantly gave the wrong location and vanished before I could go back for clarification knowing I wouldn't find the item there.

[@shannonbailey342]

I feel so bad for Chris. He went thru hell. I seen the video and it mad me soooo mad watching these guys come in and "take care" of all those snakes. Specially when they had no idea what kind of snakes they where looking at. But to now hear Chris say he had been trying for so long to get answers is just down right BS that this ended this way! There is NO reason this should of happened when Chris was trying to do the right thing this entire time.

[@jedimasters1462]

Hopefully he can use this and all phone records, emails and whatever else he can to sue them all, especially as proof he was trying to renew his permit and learn the rules, but kept getting ignored. It won't bring back the snakes, but maybe it can save more.

[@SilentxKillerx5]

Bit dramatic "through hell"

[@WhiteWolfeHU]

@@SilentxKillerx5 nah bro dealing with the fucken government is hell, the government and its agents should be sent there permanently

[@chino3001]

@@SilentxKillerx5 do you have any pets ?

[@EeveelutionStorm]

@@SilentxKillerx5 Shut up.

[@jennifergoveronski9025]

Situation makes me so angry. Thanks for the knowledge. It’s just sickening. Loss of the lives is so unnecessary.

[@Cybertruck1000]

What a great, genuine guy he seems. Immaculate facility and a great citizen. I hope he can get some rich animal lovers that will back him in his future legal battles regarding this.

[@GatorMike79]

This just boils my blood!!! I hope he sues the hell out of them. This is just so wrong

[@johnnylego807]

They need to have charges filed against them, and fired and arrested

[@jesswold47]

Unforgivable. Shame on FWC.

[@digidecks]

I THINK The officer regrest saying "please do" when he said he was going to lawyer up and fight it. 😂

[@johnnylego807]

@@digidecksThe problem is, us as taxpayers pay for it!!! Not these A--Holes who did it! No personal responsibility

[@twobirds01]

Them appreciating the snakes when they know they’re gonna end up killing them is crazy to me…

[@radicola8251]

It’s been 3 months and every time I think of this story I want to cry. I hope he’s doing ok and continues too in the following months. 💜

[@johnknouse8846]

Whole damn thing sickens me. Can you imagine if they took a nail gun to a litter of puppies? Or kittens? Someone needs to be held accountable!

[@DedraAmbroseandSnow]

That was a cattle stung gun not a nail gun. The snakes were killed by electric current that was way to strong for them to survive. Still doesn't give them the right to do what they did none the less.

[@seke9885]

@@DedraAmbroseandSnow okay… I get you clarifying but it’s just still the same premise. Nail gun. A gun. A bolt of electricity. They killing the animal.

[@DedraAmbroseandSnow]

@@seke9885 yes did not say it was better

[@Glennyco]

A litter of puppies arent kept in a two foot box.

[@ivisyung3088]

they do to puppies. if a animal shelter becomes overcrowded, the excess gets put down. shelters normally sell puppies for dirt cheap to almost free if they are set to be put down soon

[@kaitmarie6505]

That's so evil that they got him to sign away his animals by saying "by signing this you're indicating that you understand your court date is on this day and time." Just, blatantly lying to him

[@andrewmcclintock7582]

What are you talking about? You mean his arrest Citation? He has to sign that.

[@ksea6565]

this poor man...i feel so badly for his loss, especially since he was trying so hard to do the right thing at every turn. unfortunately he should have made his OWN recording the moment these so called officers showed up as is his right...we live and learn. i am absolutely disgusted with this whole situation.

[@gagebyers1057]

Credit to this man for being so level headed and not losing his cool when he had every reason too

[@SquidwardsBigFatNose]

"We've investigated ourselves and found that we've done nothing wrong"

[@raeven1937]

Im from the Netherlands, have no reptiles, but became a usark member just to support you and trying to prevent this madness from spreading. The whole world should stand up against this, if we let this go by, all our pets are on the 'list' in the future!

[@melissaf.5898]

Thank you Raeven!💜☮️

[@blackhagalaz]

Joined over here from Germany. Let's do what we can to get justice for Chris and his snakes

[@neo-filthyfrank1347]

Sounds like you need better things to do with your time

[@rphawx]

This is wrong on so many levels! I’m not a snake person however, I feel SO bad for Chris. I genuinely hope everything turns out okay for you Chris. So awful!

[@Literally_hatemy_life]

Absolutely horrendous. The guy in the blue shirt knew what he was doing. The owner was so upset

[@matt8847]

The owner does too, he knew he had a timeline but won't sell a snake for less than he wants.

[@Dr.RatioSnail]

So they forced him to relinquish these burms and retics on purpose. By tricking him by not giving him permits on purpose.

[@skinksinthecity]

Sometimes I really despise this world. I hope these "people" are held accountable to the full extent of the law. Won't hold my breath.😔p.s edit, I am talking about the Reptile killers, sorry if that was unclear.

[@mikemettler9311]

Fwc only answer to the governor so they can get away with anything 😢

[@charlesdoyle3630]

If held accountable for violating the federal Pact Act they would have to serve every day of their sentence. No parole

[@kay.e7]

@@charlesdoyle3630 At the risk of sounding like an idiot... is there 2 federal pact acts in the US? cause i thought the pact act cover veterans effected by illnesses cause by being exposed to certain things on active duty?

[@charlesdoyle3630]

@@kay.e7 Second Pact Act or Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act passed and signed in 2019

[@charlesdoyle3630]

@@kay.e7 And you did not sound like an idiot asking that question. Very smart question actually

[@WhozaCardoza]

Cops: why do people hate us? Also cops:

[@fallenprinceamongstwolves2809]

They practically ignored him and ran out the time limit on his permit so that they could have a reason to charge him with failure of compliance. Here's the thing, calls can be traced back between YOU and THEM. If it's a good lawyer (which I'm hoping it is), that's one of the first things they're going to start with. It's already suspicious that you stayed quiet this whole time and do a surprise pop-up inspection sometime after the permit expiration.

[@melissaskinner4501]

This is so disgusting,just imagine if they were talking about dogs. This breaks my heart. All the way from NZ

[@RyanSmith6644]

They do the same thing to dogs that are on ban lists by the state. So many dogs get killed because they are considered dangerous. I heard something the government is trying to do is get pets banned and it seems like slowly it’s coming to it.

[@torquess454]

I’m some cases These are more expensive and more cared for than even dogs, and cats, my reptiles are more important to me than most people I know

[@Sometallguy]

What I find the most insane is that dogs and cats (as well as other domesticated animals like rabbits, pigs, and goats) have caused way more environmental destruction than any reptile ever could. I feel like this whole situation is an attack on reptile keepers and an attempt to vilify the animals themselves, as they don’t appeal to a lot of people. (I have nothing against dogs, cats, or any of the other animals I listed by the way, I was just using them as a real world example. Love my dog, he’s sitting here with me as I type this)

[@RyanSmith6644]

@GoodGuyRuska I absolutely agree. I personally think there should be a license that you have to take educational classes and train for to own a “aggressive/high maintenance) animal of any kind. That way you know that animal is safe in that person’s hands. I don’t think people realize just how much work some species require. Heck most dogs need to be trained and exercised a whole lot especially these “aggressive” breeds. Most dogs deemed that are because they are a working breed and need TONS of exercise daily to get all their energy out. They need stimulation as well. Any animal even some cats when left to their own devices will be aggressive because they have way too much built up energy. It’s possible reptiles are the same well some I don’t think snakes are dying for play time or need to burn energy they do however need training to handle and must be fed regularly or they might eat something they are not supposed to.

[@missykurtz5552]

Yes, but keeping 100+ dogs is a red flag in and of itself.

[@RandomJ2023]

This is heart wrenching. FWC needs to be held accountable. 😢

[@sthrnbll2u65]

My heart break for this guy. This was dirty! He was compliant in every way. 💔😥

[@neodemo7465]

They knew what they did before they did it. You can see it in their body language and facial expressions.

[@tipping_scales]

Well done sir. Keep that pressure on these guys. Hate that he could've rehomed them if they just let him but instead made him hold onto them and then killed them. Freaking ridiculous. So glad you were able to get this footage

[@joejohnson81]

"We're not taking them, they're yours, maintain them and do as you would." "If anything goes missing you will be charged with interference." I'm so mad right now. Imagine having to try and comply with these bumbling idiots.

[@ChristopherTurcios-l9j]

Why does the body cam police sound like buzz Lightyear😂

[@carenza163]

I'm in the UK, I keep inverts, and I am also an advocate for the protection of natural eco systems and preservation of native species. This is 100% the wrong way to go about it and totally alienate people from the issue. Domestic cats are actually the worlds most invasive species and are far and away the biggest threat to a lot of wildlife. Could you imagine the scenes if this was free roaming cats they were targeting rather than captive, responsibly cared for snakes? My heart goes out to Chris and others that have had similar happen. Something seems very wrong here in all that has come to light and someone should be made to take responsibility.

[@Cassiopea525]

Cats really do cause more harm than people seem to realize. They’ve already been linked to the extinction of several species, if I remember correctly last count was 22 confirmed species directly eliminated by cats. Invasive snakes may be a problem but there is a lot of harmful invasive species that aren’t getting nearly enough attention.

[@SeriouslySarahLee]

The sincerity in Chris’ voice and the sadness breaks my heart. I feel for this man and his partner (mentioned in the go fund me). I truly hope they get some sort of justice.

[@silaskuemmerle2505]

It’s too bad he doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting justice in this situation.

[@beavinator]

I love the use of footage of 80s cop movie police bosses yelling at their controversial star detectives. "The chief didn't chew it all out yet, you still got a little ass left"

[@philipmead5113]

Here in the UK we have had a number of species banned and put on an invasive species list. I had a couple of Red-Eared Sliders that were put on the list. I enquired about what I needed to do with them I was told nothing. I could carry on keeping them but they couldn't be bred, sold, rehomed or removed from the property. But they could be kept until the natural end of their lives.

[@felislupus2]

Why couldn't they be rehomed to a sanctuary

[@OnlineSometimes]

@@felislupus2 room and not needed

[@felislupus2]

@@OnlineSometimes I'm confused about the not needed part. In the case of an emergency would you have to euthanize???

[@V.I.C.]

Yes thats what was suppose to happen here too! He was suppose to be "grandfathered in" and the snakes could stay he just couldn't take in any more but for some odd reason he wasn't! The dude needs to sue the living shit out of the FWC!!! He will definitely win that case!

[@danielled8665]

​@Vic basically the law changed recently, even grandfathered pythons are now illegal to keep unless you are a zoo or can get a license. Which is an absolutely insane law change, as the whole point of allowing grandfathered animals is so desperate owners won't release their pets into the wild in the hopes of saving them.

[@tobywonkinoby8916]

As a Floridian this really makes me mad. Thank you for covering this. I wish more of the big Florida reptile KZbinrs would cover this, but of course they won’t.

[@melissaf.5898]

💯

[@natakudragon8771]

They won't because they are (unfortunately justifiably) terrified of retribution from the state. It doesn't matter if what they do is legal, fwc has shown it clearly has no regards for violating the rights of other, breaking laws and murdering pets.

[@tobywonkinoby8916]

@@natakudragon8771 luckily Kamp Kenan made a video about it. Very happy he did.

[@RH_01779]

They are scared of DeSantis and possible retaliation from his authoritarian regime

[@Lazy_Fish_Keeper]

@@tobywonkinoby8916 Kamp Kenan and Clint's Reptiles are how I found this video, oddly... Even though Donny covered it first, it never showed in my feed

[@runeheadah]

"I didn't know either." "We have to follow what our bosses tell us." If their mouths are open, they're lying.

[@0megacron]

There's something about the word "government" that automatically turns people into corrupt, incompetent idiots. Doesn't seem to matter what the person's like, or whether it's local, state, or federal... there's just something about government jobs that ruins most people.

[@Me_1983-]

Keep up the amazing work Donny! This absolutely needs to be covered!!!

[@NewEnglandReptile]

That's the plan! K

[@karly3520]

I don't think I've ever been so sad and so enraged at the same time.

[@BigBoyJudge]

the most threatening sentence you can hear is: I'm from the government and I'm here to help

[@missasrelaxingwithnature4916]

Thanks for the update on this situation. There is definitely more to this story, than what we have seen so far. FWC Officers shouldn't be able to mute, turn off or block their body cams, if they do, disciplinary action should be taken. Were his snakes micro chipped? If they were, then why couldn't they automatically grandfather them in, or give him an extension like he wanted, so he could re-home them? I don't really buy the excuse, that the Officers on the ground didn't know anything. Someone would have heard something, or they would have seen the notice of what was coming down the pipe line, with the date the new policy would come into effect. I get that departments don't always communicate everything, that happens everywhere. But when a policy is changed, usually a notice is sent out to all departments that are or could be affected by the new policy. So I call BS on these two Officers. I have also heard that it can take up to 90 days or longer to get a response from the permit department on renewals, etc. Not to mention you have to have proof that you sent them anything, so they can't say they didn't get anything. Either way, something doesn't seem right with this story. Thanks Donny and Kevin for all you do!

[@charlesdoyle3630]

They were microchipped and inventoried. Per what FWC demanded before permit was made invalid

[@melissaf.5898]

They make the new laws so incredibly difficult to understand. Also, remember Ty Park couldn’t even get grandfathered in even tho he spent millions on making IGUANA Land. So sad and scary

[@MrScuba1972]

The original video you posted when the pregnant female was bludgeoned with a spike, emotionless, thoughtless, I was so upset it troubled my sleep. The background provided is even more damning in that there was not only an agenda but those executing the policies are calculated. Ultimately, they murdered a bunch of snakes. Never deal with a badge without an attorney, they aren't your friend.

[@Lazy_Fish_Keeper]

Too many people think that if they aren't breaking the law, they don't need an attorney. The rest, who know better, can't afford an attorney to be present every time LEO try swinging their weight. It's a pitched event, and nobody really talks about it....

[@bryanwithat6763]

“We’re from the government and we’re here to help”

[@spardaprowess3277]

This is just the 1 time they got exposed. Who knows how many other times they got away with this sick behavior.

[@elena_____308]

im so glad this was shown on the news. these stories usually never make it on the news and hopefully this will contribute to ending the demonization of reptiles.

[@thefrankyg]

Wow, Florida has made this impossible to do it correctly.

[@destinyheath6583]

This is heartbreaking. This whole situation.

[@ericanichol8729]

I genuinely can't comprehend how multiple people agreed to kill a bunch of living creatures like that... its horrific.

[@Xakriuth]

Those animal abusers are the worst degenerates... Each one needs to pay heavily for this. Thanks for spreading the word.

[@CindyHuot]

I hope he takes them to court & sues them for EVERYTHING they have!!!!

[@silaskuemmerle2505]

He’s not going to be able to get past their qualified immunity claim

[@mattd1142]

He’s gotta take these guys to court. I see a pretty solid case

[@Monkaisubi]

Can't give him legal advice. proceeds to give him legal advice.

[@nowasiwassaying...1699]

This video removes all question about whether they took care or not. I wonder if the city will compensate the owner at all. Not that that fixes anything, but it would be a move in the correct direction. Tax payers should be furious when the police have to pay out settlements due to their negligence. That isn't why you pay taxes.

[@johnnylego807]

It better be a heft amount, problem is it comes out of our tax payers pockets, and no personal responsibility on these officers! so they continue to be negligent! they should all be fired from law enforcement capacity in wildlife. This has ruined so much more, the litter alone was worth upwards of 300k And a future generation of business with those hybrids. They did this on purpose

[@AuskaDezjArdamaath]

They did this to entrap him!

[@Dr.RatioSnail]

Yes it's entrapment with footage he potentially has a good argument for it.

[@DontesInferno]

I really hope this guy Chris lawyers up and gets to litigation quick. I’m very unfamiliar with this situation before today but just from the footage it looks straight up crazy… I hope this man gets justice 🤞

[@joshuadoll9000]

Just as an FYI sometimes with bodycam clips departments mute the audio for investigative or legal reasons so some of those mutes may have been by the department and not the individual officers so theoretically there's unedited clips that may not be released to the public but could be subpoenaed for a court case.

[@zrsibitserrormiubaakie]

The new level of power that they have, allows the bad apples to do irreparable damage.

[@willb2581]

We need to keep the pressure legislators are just going to keep hoping we stay silent and move on.

[@usarkflorida2970]

Check the USARK FL pages for that

[@Zyzy88]

This is a perfect example of turning a good man into a "criminal".

[@mk6315]

This is what makes people hate government, malice and intentional negligence

[@zambimaru]

Trying to get a hold of someone from any State Fish and Wildlife Department that has the right answers is infuriating. I'm convinced there's ever only one Person who knows and they're always busy or not in the Office.

[@nickie6208]

No it's never too long. I want all the info. It seems like these FWC officers are always a little weird imo. Keep up the outstanding work Donny 👍

[@YochevedDesigns]

Mall cop rejects, if you ask me. I kept getting so mad every time one of them said "Boots on the ground." That's army talk, and coming from a military family, they have NO RIGHT to talk like that. You wanna be a tough guy? Go serve in Iraq or Yemen - you know, some place where actual real danger exists. (I'm so angry right now my hands are shaking and I keep making typos.) 🤬

[@nickie6208]

@@YochevedDesigns yeah you know they are lying about that "boots on the ground" crap cause they said it so many times. They let his license run out on purpose then treat him like a criminal

[@tupak8996]

Disabling a camera by a police officer on duty should automatically result in horrendously large fines and imprisonment, so that no one would even think of doing such a thing, and by the way, the cameras should have built-in systems to alert headquarters that a blue gangster has turned off the camera.

[@erisgh0sted961]

He absolutely did NOT ask them to kill his pet. Infact, he made very clear, which ones they were there for.

[@Thebeetleguy]

Thank you so much for everything that you do for the reptile hobby and community, Donny. Keep up the great work.

[@Dionaea_floridensis]

If this were about virtually any other animals--dogs, cats, koi fish, ferrets, etc-- it'd have been a national outrage, instead of largely restricted to the reptile community

[@charlesdoyle3630]

Pay attention to the language in legislation that is being proposed and passed across the country. It spells out where they are going with and for. The four pages added to America Competes Act is a good start

[@DopinSmoke]

Not really. Bully breed dogs are banned in tons of places and people cheer it on like morons. The only reason I’m allowed to have my dog is I’m a home owner. Shit head renters call the cops all the time on him just in his fence and I have to show dipshit cops I own my home.

[@jessies6502]

Most people don't equate snakes with any other pet species. I've had otherwise "normal" people tell me that they'd turn my harmless pet ball python into a belt. When I confront them, they tell me that a snake isn't a dog. I also have people take great delight in telling me about snakes they kill in their yards, and run over on the roads. So I have no problem believing that this happened.

[@zerotodona1495]

@@jessies6502there’s nothing wrong with killing random snakes in your yard. At least in CA, cause they are most likely deadly unless green (garden snake). Plus a snake doesn’t serve a purpose like normal pets do in history. Dogs guard, cats kill rodents, donkeys kill coyotes, etc.

[@greenginger6668]

@@zerotodona1495 there is a lot wrong with killing random snakes in the wild. They are essential for the ecosystem. They control rodent populations naturally within their own ecosystem which in turn controls disease, they don’t absolutely decimate populations like cats (which kill for fun, leaving dead carcasses that can further spread disease). Even venomous snakes serve a purpose and should be left alone, the majority of bites happen because someone was attempting to kill the snake. Leave it alone or call someone to relocate it, you can even spray them with a hose. On top of all that, it is illegal in many areas to kill snakes of any kind and in California certain species are illegal to kill (including a rattlesnake species). Btw, the only place where you are more likely to encounter a venomous snake than a non venomous one is Australia, there are only 8 species of venomous species in California. They are still our pets, just like a cat or a dog are to you, even without the historical context. Humans bond with just about anything and just because you don’t think a reptile is worth bonding with doesn’t mean they aren’t to others. What purpose does a hamster, fish, or parrot serve?

[@haziqlatif8022]

Glad the reptile community helping out to spread awareness and expose these organisations heinous acts.

[@Eriamskitka-qg6gh]

I get there are rules/laws and deadlines but if they see the dude is actively finding homes for them and went from 100 to 36, I think it’d be fair to allow more time as long as he’s actively rehoming them. If it gets to a period where it’s months and they’re not going anywhere, then say “ok dude we’ve given you another extension and given you ample more time but the rehoming has come to a standstill so we have to enforce the law with you or you’ll be charged”…I’m not a fan of snakes but this dude seems compassionate and really cares for the lives of these snakes and he’s not hiding that he’s holding them.

[@eugenehatin.420]

This is beyond sickening he stated multiple times he would cooperate and they seemed like they only had excuses as to why hey couldn’t do what they should have on there end or were not taking your snakes at this time ? Like what? They just kept Egging him on. Trynna make him snap. I wonder if they killed the wrong snake intentionally to try to get him to snap and maybe try to get all the snakes ?

[@zyxwvutsrqponmlkh]

You watch the full video, pe do file FWC officer 100% legit intentionally killed his legal pet. I don't think the others were in on it, they were just incompetent's and did not know one snake from the other. But pe do cop knew what he was doing. Regardless the entire agency was intentionally trying to make this guy's life hell. He was doing things legally and then they changed the law, it was hinted that he could get an extension to finish re-homing them and they just ignored him to run out the clock so they could get him in trouble. These people are just little tyrants.

[@cincityserpents]

This is just maddening 😡 and so sad….it’s clear that they purposefully ignored him because they don’t care and wanted this to happen. I hope the FWC is held accountable 😡

[@80bbygrl]

He was desperately trying to save his snakes!!!

[@xenaguy01]

*WHO IS LYING?* If a LEO was involved, there's your liar. 1:44 _"May take time."_ Expect a tiny press release in about 14 months. 4:10 So he had from April something to July something to re-home over a dozen pythons, but forbade him from selling them out of state? Wow. 8:11 _"I'm not calling you a criminal."_ *I'm just charging you with a crime.*

[@420bandit]

Man was alot nicer about this then i wouldve been

[@pantoponrosegoatoe4129]

As a vegan and animal rights activists for 30 years, it makes my blood run cold that the world still works this way.

[@belizeguy]

I still shake my head when I think of this terrible situation. Thank you for continuing to publicize it.

[@LorannaMae01]

They forced him to become a criminal with their own incompetence and ignorance. They used him to try to make a show of force, and now it's backfiring. I never thought I would be involved in what's going on in FL, living in MN, but I've joined both USARK, and USARK Florida.. I wish I could do more and hope to do more in the future.

[@podviews]

Cops make mistake: "You're making me the bad guy here, and for that I'm going to charge you with a crime"