Florida Lawyer Shooed Raccoon Off Boat, FWC Investigating

UHLER First the FWC ░░░░░░░░ investigating a confrontation at ░░░░░░░░ involving a raccoon Good ░░░░░░░░ everyone I m Jamison ░░░░░░░░ RYAN And I m ░░░░░░░░ Ryan Thanks for joining ░░░░░░░░ The Facebook video now ░░░░░░░░ viral with many claiming ░░░░░░░░ cruelty UHLER ABC Action ░░░░░░░░ reporter Heather Leigh is ░░░░░░░░ Heather the FWC is ░░░░░░░░ this seriously LEIGH Jamison ░░░░░░░░ they definitely are taking ░░░░░░░░ very seriously They say ░░░░░░░░ found out about it ░░░░░░░░ two days ago when ░░░░░░░░ started calling in and ░░░░░░░░ them to the incident ░░░░░░░░ say they are well ░░░░░░░░ of the video and ░░░░░░░░ are investigating clip starts ░░░░░░░░ voice over It s ░░░░░░░░ viral video first posted ░░░░░░░░ a Facebook group called ░░░░░░░░ Consoles Only It shows ░░░░░░░░ boater getting into a ░░░░░░░░ with a raccoon on ░░░░░░░░ boat 20 miles from ░░░░░░░░ The original poster took ░░░░░░░░ the video but a ░░░░░░░░ deeply concerned about what ░░░░░░░░ next screen recorded the ░░░░░░░░ and shared it on ░░░░░░░░ site OVITZ That s ░░░░░░░░ That s inhumane You ░░░░░░░░ who would do something ░░░░░░░░ that LEIGH voice over ░░░░░░░░ Ovitz saw the video ░░░░░░░░ it was originally posted ░░░░░░░░ raccoon looks like it ░░░░░░░░ trying to get away ░░░░░░░░ eventually falls into the ░░░░░░░░ OVITZ Fishing and conservation ░░░░░░░░ supposed to go hand ░░░░░░░░ hand LEIGH voice over ░░░░░░░░ animal trapper Chris Ward ░░░░░░░░ raccoons can be dangerous ░░░░░░░░ certain circumstances WARD They ░░░░░░░░ scratch you they can ░░░░░░░░ you They carry different ░░░░░░░░ such as distemper roundworm ░░░░░░░░ they are a rabies ░░░░░░░░ LEIGH voice over The ░░░░░░░░ behind the video Clearwater ░░░░░░░░ injury lawyer Thomas Cope ░░░░░░░░ apologizing tonight but says ░░░░░░░░ quote fully grown male ░░░░░░░░ was hissing and growling ░░░░░░░░ he felt getting it ░░░░░░░░ the boat for safety ░░░░░░░░ was the only realistic ░░░░░░░░ FWC says it s ░░░░░░░░ early to know if ░░░░░░░░ laws were broken clip ░░░░░░░░ LEIGH And the FWC ░░░░░░░░ asking anyone with additional ░░░░░░░░ about the incident and ░░░░░░░░ that video to please ░░░░░░░░ them they do want ░░░░░░░░ hear from you We ░░░░░░░░ posted their hotline number ░░░░░░░░ our website ABCActionNews com ░░░░░░░░ now we re live ░░░░░░░░ Leigh ABC Action News.”