Photos: Cleveland Police Seize Alligator

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Storyful) - Cleveland police seized an alligator after a man barricaded himself inside his home on Thursday, December 17.

Police said officers responded to a domestic incident on Corneilia Avenue to find the suspect had barricaded himself inside the home and possibly had weapons and an alligator. The SWAT unit responded to the scene, and the suspect was taken into custody without incident.

The SWAT team located the alligator inside the home, and it was captured with the use of a dog pole and duct tape to ensure no one was bitten. Cleveland Animal Control has the alligator in its custody and provided the animal a “tiny pool,” police said.

Police said the home was not sanitary and the alligator roamed free. “It is obviously unsafe for alligators to roam free in homes, both for the animal and for visitors,” police said in a press release. “Hopefully this little lizard will find a happier, more appropriate home.”