- Sheriff’s deputies found the suspect with a .22 caliber hand-gun and a 12-pack of beer.
- Suspect has symptoms of COVID-19 as well.
- Easter Bunny was not harmed.
Head east on I-70 from Columbus, Ohio and 95 miles later, right in the middle of nowhere, you’ll hit Middlebourne. It’s a small town, where the typical news is about the sheriff’s department getting a new K-9 officer, or a surprise pizza party for first responders. But the Wednesday before Easter, the news took a darker turn.
On the afternoon of April 8th, someone dressed as the Easter Bunny visited residents of Middlebourne for photos before heading to an overpass over 1-70 to wave at passing vehicles. Most residents just posted to their Facebook accounts, happy for some light-hearted news in the world. But the sight of the Easter Bunny walking around and waving must have enraged one 49-year-old man. He approached the Easter Bunny on the overpass, waving a handgun and threatening the rabbit.
Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash
A surreal Scene
Can you imagine driving through Ohio and seeing someone pointing a gun at the Easter Bunny? Presumably it was a bystander who called the authorities about the scene. The bunny must have diffused the situation because by the time deputies arrived, the armed man had left the scene. Nearby, however, they discovered a truck with a DIY-camouflage paint job (I mean, of course) and two men sitting inside passing a weekday afternoon sharing a 12-pack of beer.
Photo by Altino Dantas on Unsplash
One man cooperated fully with the sheriff. Not our guy though; he refused to exit the vehicle until a K-9 officer arrived at the scene. Officers found the handgun in the truck along with the beer. Reports say the suspect was slurring his words and unable to walk a straight line. He also had a fever and symptoms of coronavirus, so his buddy really got more from their afternoon hang out than he bargained.
After the Arrest
He’ll likely get charged with aggravated menacing and improper handling of a firearm in a vehicle. Not that I have any sympathy for this guy, but that’s got to be one of the worst hangovers of his life. Wake up in jail, charged with threatening the Easter Bunny and sick with COVID-19. At least he’s also got that sick paint job on his truck.
This is probably what his truck looks like, right?
Image by John R Perry from Pixabay
You can read the complete story in the Daily Jeffersonian here.