Alabama

Man Accused of Feeding Meth to ‘Attack Squirrel' Arrested

"There was no safe way to test the squirrel for meth," police said

A man accused by police of feeding methamphetamines to his pet squirrel to make him an "attack squirrel" has been arrested.

Police officers in Alabama had been looking for Mickey Paulk for nearly two weeks.

Paulk, who had been hiding in a hotel, was arrested on Thursday after he attempted to flee from drug investigators on a stolen motorcycle, according to police. He crashed into an investigator's vehicle after a brief pursuit, police said.

The case against the 35-year-old Alabama man escalated June 17 when narcotics investigators executed a search warrant "that yielded meth, drug paraphernalia, body armor and a squirrel."

"Prior to the search warrant, investigators were informed that Mickey Paulk kept an 'attack squirrel' inside his apartment, and that Paulk fed the squirrel meth to keep it aggressive," the Limestone County Sheriff's Office in Athens, Alabama, said in a statement.

Paulk wasn't home, however. The search for the squirrel's owner was on.

Investigators arrested 37-year-old Ronnie Reynolds during the search warrant and charged him with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and loitering at a known drug house. He was released from jail on a $4,000 bond.

After the warrant execution, officers called the Alabama Game and Fish Division, which said owning a pet squirrel was illegal. The squirrel was successfully released to the wild, according to police.

Paulk faces charges including receiving stolen property, attempting to elude, criminal mischief and felon in possession of a pistol, as well as possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Contact Us