EDGEWATER, Fla. - A firefighter accused of biting the head off a pet parrot at a party was charged with felony animal cruelty Monday and placed on administrative leave.



Lt. Bruce Coates, 34, was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail but was expected be released on his own recognizance after meeting with court officials Tuesday, a jail official said.


Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said witnesses told deputies that the off-duty Coates was at a party early Sunday when he took the Quaker parrot, valued at $200, off someone else's shoulder, put the bird's head in his mouth and bit it off.


The parrot's owner later called the sheriff's office.


Coates told deputies he had been drinking alcohol and could not remember what happened. However, he was apologetic and offered to replace the parrot, Davidson told The Daytona Beach News-Journal.


Edgewater Fire Chief Tracey Barlow said Coates, with the department since 1991, came to him Sunday and told him about the incident.


He will stay on leave with pay pending the outcome of the investigation, Edgewater fire spokeswoman Jennifer Smith said.

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If he was that hungry for bird he should have went to KFC.

Biting heads off of animals seems to be popular these days...

If its good enough for "Ozzie" its good enough for everyone!

fkn moron some one go and stab that piece of fkn crap >_<. He should die.

Thats sad poor bird i hope he got changed good stupid man

Once again more animal violence.
They may be just animals but they are still living creatures and deserve more.
I hope they don't let him get away with his drunk excuse.
There are plenty of people drunk out there everyday, who don't go biting heads off animals.

sucks for the bird... sucks for the guy too... just one of the many reasons why i don't, and never will drink. (plus i'm only 15)

Sigh if only there were massive mutant birds that could bite off his head, it would be the only appropriate punishment in my book.
He`s a disgrace to the human race!

And while drunk, too.

There is a giant, violent bird called the Diatryma which is about the size of an Osterich with a huge boney crest on it's head that it uses to plough through underbush of forests and it viciously attacks anything in it's path.

We should pit this guy, naked and defensless in the forest, against it. See how funny it is then.

We have the cassowary in Northern Queensland, he can use his shap claws to rip open a humans flesh.

lol I had no idea some people felt so strongly about the poor parrot.

I don't like birds....not at all! They can be very mean, as I have found. A bird bit my face a few years ago and it hurt like hell. I did not bit the damn bird back though......even though I should have.