No, the raccoon will not be charged with drug possession.
After an Ohio woman was placed under arrest during a traffic stop Monday, an officer returned to the vehicle to find the driver’s seat occupied by a pet raccoon with a glass methamphetamine pipe in its mouth, police said.
“The raccoon has her meth pipe,” an officer is heard saying with a laugh on body cam video. “That’s evidence now.”
When the officer took the pipe away, the raccoon pulled out another.
“While our officers are trained to expect the unexpected, finding a raccoon holding a meth pipe is a first!” the Springfield Township Police Department said in a social media post.
The raccoon — named “Chewy” — was unharmed. Officers confirmed that the driver had the proper paperwork and documentation to own the raccoon in Ohio, where domestication is legal.
The incident led officers to further inspect the vehicle, and they found a bulk amount of methamphetamine, crack cocaine and three used methamphetamine pipes, according to the department.
The vehicle had been pulled over after its registered owner was found to have an active warrant and suspended driver’s license. Victoria Vidal, a 55-year-old from Akron, was charged with three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and cited for driving under suspension.
The department said Vidal could face additional charges for crack cocaine possession pending lab results from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. She was turned over to police on her active warrant.
Officers, in a video shard on the department’s Facebook page, said they placed the raccoon in a carrier and contacted the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to ensure that Chewy is rehomed to a safer location.
“As always,” the department said, “we remain committed to keeping our community safe — no matter what surprises may come our way.”
