UM officers arrested an unidentified man at the University of Miami Police Department on Aug. 25 at 7:15 p.m. after reports were filed about duck abuse on campus. The man was charged with one count of animal cruelty.
According to Sergeant Michelle Christensen, the public information office for the City of Coral Gables, the man was not placed into handcuffs or taken directly to jail and was instead given a promise to appear in court. Failure to show up in court will result in a warrant for his arrest.
The documented abuse, which occurred on Aug. 22 at approximately 4 p.m., went viral on social media nearly an hour later. A video showed a man cursing at and kicking a beloved campus duck named “Ivan.” A separate photo showed a different man holding the duck by its wings while its head dangled down. This man in the photo appeared to be wearing ABM attire.
“I am happy and grateful that consequences were given out and that this situation was handled seriously,” said Alexa Wood, the student from UM who reported the original incident via the University Hotline. “It is important that we treat our wildlife just as we would treat humans in this scenario.”
Sergeant Christensen also confirmed that the man arrested was not a UM student but his affiliation to UM is still unknown.
Katie Karlson
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