More charges in Jasper County alligator harassment incident unlikely

It is unlikely any more charges will be filed following a South Carolina Department of Natural Resources investigation into photos of a group of men pouring beer down an alligators throat, a DNR officials said Saturday.

Two Ridgeland men were charged Friday with harassment of an alligator after the photos were posted online, according to a DNR press release.

“There was a group of people there and they were all educated,” DNR Lt. Michael Paul Thomas said Saturday. “The ones who were charged were the ones that were clearly violating the law. They were the ones we were able to identify in the investigation.”

Joseph Andrew Floyd Jr., 20, and Zachary Lloyd Brown, admitted to officers that they picked up the alligator after spotting it on a public dirt road between Hardeeville and Tillman in Jasper County on May 24, the release states. It also states that the juvenile alligator was released after the men poured beer down its throat.

Thomas said it is unlikely the men will face any more charges. He said DNR is the only agency that investigated the incident.

The misdemeanor charge comes with a maximum fine of $300. Thomas said the men were issued a ticket similar to what someone receives in a speeding incident. They will appear before a judge for a final decision.

Reports of alligator harassment are not uncommon during the warmer months in South Carolina, Thomas said.

“When they (alligators) are out and about, we see people feeding them and enticing them,” Thomas said. “We get a lot of complaints about that in residential areas.”

It is important that people not approach or engage with alligators for many reasons, Thomas said. He said there is a danger for the individuals involved and it could train an alligator to be comfortable with humans.

“They are powerful animals who adapt,” Thomas said. “There are dangers of being bitten and drug into the water.”

This story was originally published May 27, 2017 at 2:42 PM with the headline "More charges in Jasper County alligator harassment incident unlikely."