Raccoon Killed on the Beach Was Rabies Free

By Katie McFadden

According to the NYC Department of Health, the raccoon killed by an NYPD sergeant on the beach on January 22, did not have rabies.

As reported by the New York Post on January 31, the raccoon’s remains were tested after it was shot three times, allegedly by Sgt. Nicholas Henry of the 100th Precinct. The results showed the animal was negative for rabies, the viral neurological disease that can be transmitted to humans or other animals through a bite.

As The Rockaway Times reported last week, the raccoon was shot near the boardwalk beach entrance at Beach 125th Street after a nearly two-hour ordeal of police trying to get it into a cage. The NYPD press office called the animal “vicious”, saying, “While attempting to guide the racoon to a safe location, the animal suddenly charges towards a group of people in an aggressive manner. An officer discharged his firearm, striking the animal.” The sergeant was placed on modified duty after the shooting as the Force Investigation Division investigates the incident.

Since the shooting, a local resident who says they were the one to call for help for the animal, reached out to The Rockaway Times. The witness said he was walking his dog on Beach 121st Street when he saw the raccoon “walking back and forth and in loops.” Out of concern for neighbors who let their dogs run on the beach, he called 311. As reported in The Rockaway Times, people are advised to call 311 when they see a raccoon acting abnormally as it could be rabid, and these calls are directed to Animal Care Centers of NY, but they only operate between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., so calls outside of those times are redirected to 911. Such was the case for this witness.

“I told them it looked skinny and sick, and I was worried it could be carrying rabies since it was out during daylight but did not mention it was particularly ‘vicious.’ Before the officers arrived, the raccoon continued to wander around on the boardwalk, often bumping up against the railing and turning in loops,” the witness who wanted to remain anonymous said.

As officers arrived, the witness directed them to where he last saw the animal and noticed it has moved west. “I returned to my apartment but later, another police car arrived, and I went out to the beach where I saw there were now four officers standing around while they tried to lead the raccoon into the cage,” the witness said, adding that he’s a photographer who was documenting the scene and was hoping for a photo of the officers with the raccoon in the cage.

“Eventually the raccoon got closer to the plants by the boardwalk and one of the officers asked me if I had any extra treats they could use (as I was currently walking my dog). I did not have any on me but skateboarded back to my apartment to get some.

“When I was returning, I saw the officer who asked that I get the treats and he told me ‘They already shot it’ — which I wasn’t sure if it meant with a gun or a tranquilizer. I continued to the rest of the officers, but they told me to keep back from the area. I returned to my apartment and did not know the raccoon was dead at that time.”

The witness says an NYPD detective followed up with him to ask questions but did not say the raccoon was killed.  “I was unaware until I saw the story in The Rockaway Times and the bodycam footage,” he said.