Mockingbirds to Dallas Cops: Duck!
By OMAR VILLAFRANCA
Updated 10:14 AM CST, Fri, May 29, 2009
Dallas police officers are under attack at their own headquarters.
The two suspects are about 10 inches in length, gray-colored and can sing.
They're commonly known as mockingbirds.
A pair of mockingbirds have set up shop in front of Dallas police headquarters, and they're not scared of cops. Officers say as many as 30 of Dallas' finest have been pecked, clawed or dive-bombed outside of headquarters.
Officer D.S. Llewellyn had his first brush with a bird about a month ago, when he walked off the DART train.
"I felt something brush by my head, and I looked up and saw it was a bird," he said. "I couldn't figure out what kind of bird it was, and then he brushed me again, and then I realized it was a mockingbird."
That wasn't the last time Llewellyn would get up close and personal with the state bird of Texas.
"He made physical contact with me on the second round; I think the first round was just air blowing by my head," he said.
While shooting a story on the mockingbirds, reporter Omar Villafranca was repeatedly pummeled by the pair of birds.
Officer jokingly made up a "wanted" sign, looking for the birds. One officer joked that after dive-bombing several officers, the bird could face "assault and battery" charges.
But too bad for the cops -- the birds have the law on their side.
Dallas police confirmed that because the mockingbird is the state bird, shooting or killing the mockingbirds is illegal.
"I think he's exempt from charges, but we'll give him a good talking to," Llewellyn joked.
Mockingbirds are known to be territorial and very aggressive when defending their territory. A new study by the University of Florida shows that mockingbirds might be able to recognize the people they attack, and sometimes get more aggressive around certain people.
First Published: May 28, 2009 11:52 PM CST
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