The Tacoma Police Department found themselves in hot pursuit of a very unusual suspect-a wily pig nicknamed “Notorious P.I.G.” The title-bearing fugitive porker made its first appearance in a residential neighborhood on the east side of Tacoma in a way that took what was otherwise shaping up to be a routine day for the officers and turned it into one of comic somberness.
The officers answered calls about an unlikely intruder: a chubby pig waddling across manicured lawns and driveways. Its agility and staunch determination to evade capture won it the name of “Notorious P.I.G” in no time. Despite their utmost efforts, officers were put in an odd standoff when he was “noncompliant,” as jocularly indicated in body cam footage.
The Notorious P.I.G. dodged in and out of lawns as residents watched it leading several officers on a light, yet sort of exhausting, game of tag. The comical, almost slapstick chase was caught on video and shared by the Tacoma Police Department. It became complete with one officer’s exasperated yet amused comment: “The pig is being noncompliant.”.
The officers dodged parked cars and fences, trying to outsmart the spirited escape artist for almost an hour. The pig showed incredible agility to keep the chase alive and sent onlookers cheering riotously for both the police and their unusual quarry.
That grand chase ended with a safe and humane catch. Notorious P.I.G. wasn’t hurt and was taken to The Rusty Bar Ranch-an animal sanctuary in nearby Roy, Wash. A sanctuary noted for rehabilitative care of rescued animals took the pig in for a “cozy stay” while authorities sorted out where the animal came from.
It didn’t end right there on the streets. The Tacoma Police Department shared that hilarious footage through social media, and in a short span of time, it has gone viral. “Tacoma’s newest celebrity has arrived! Meet Notorious P.I.G.,” an amusing caption reads. Public reaction was enormously positive, ranging from admiration for the patience of those officers to suggesting that the pig could start a rap career.
As one of the neighbors, Sarah Thompson said, “It’s nice to actually see our officers handling a situation like this with such humor and care. For a whole neighborhood, that was something to laugh at!
The Notorious P.I.G. incident was a nice relief from the standard headlines and brought much-needed levity to Tacoma. Everyone praised the officers for their creativity, patience, and determination to return circumstances to normal as safely as possible. “This was a great reminder of the lighter side of police work,” said Tacoma Police Chief Marcus Ward.
With the pig’s backstory still unknown, conjecture abounds. Some say it may have escaped from a nearby farm; others jokingly say that it was on some kind of freedom quest. Whatever the origin, one thing is for certain, though: the Notorious P.I.G. has left a mark on Tacoma that will not soon be forgotten.
