Police: Man beheads tame hotel duck

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

ST. PAUL, Minn. - A man was in custody Sunday after police said he ripped the head off a tame duck that lived in a hotel lobby's ornamental pond.

Scott D. Clark, a guest at the Embassy Suites Hotel in St. Paul, cornered the duck early Saturday morning, grabbed the bird and ripped its head from its body while a hotel security guard and others watched, police said.

Clark then turned to onlookers and said: "I'm hungry. I'm gonna eat it," St. Paul police Sgt. John Wuorinen said.

"He was allegedly drunk," Wuorinen said.

Clark, 26, of Denver, was detained by hotel security guards until police came to arrest him.

He remained jailed Sunday on suspicion of felony animal cruelty and was scheduled to appear in court Monday to be charged.

A phone message left for Clark at the jail was not returned Sunday.

If convicted, he could face up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine, said Tim Shields, general counsel with the Minnesota Federated Humane Societies. Shields said the incident was "unconscionable," and that having live ducks in a hotel lobby puts them at risk of being stepped on or run over by suitcases.

"I think Embassy Suites needs to take another look at this and review how they keep ducks safe, or use fish like most hotels would use," Shields said.

Calls to the Embassy Suites were referred to either the assistant general manager or the general manager, and neither of them were available Sunday.

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[Imua 0]

sick, cruel b@stid - reminds me of an incident last year in Brooklyn when someone killed a swan...

[LondonGooner 0]

If you have the propensity to kill or harm animals then you have the capability to do the same to humans. He should be made to work in a zoo so he can learn to appreciate the beauty and value of wildlife.

[Jenn! 918]

If convicted, he could face up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine, said Tim Shields, general counsel with the Minnesota Federated Humane Societies.

That is excessive. Don't people eat ducks?

[MissStacey 1]

Is that the same Hotel where every morning they have the ritual of the ducks marching in and hopping in the pond?

I saw that a few times on TV- it is so sweet!!!

What a friggin moron to do something like that!!

[Jasman0717 9]

[JODO 2]

life without parole

[Jenn! 918]

life without parole

Life without parole? For being drunk and killing a duck?

Sometimes it seems to me like people care more about animals than people.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

life without parole

Life without parole? For being drunk and killing a duck?

Sometimes it seems to me like people care more about animals than people.

[Caladan 19]

life without parole

Life without parole? For being drunk and killing a duck?

Sometimes it seems to me like people care more about animals than people.

Yeah, I'm pretty much in the 'it's a goddamn duck' camp on this one. The guy should pay a fine and reparations to the hotel, and maybe some sort of community service, but prison over a duck? Would it be better were it in a confit?

[LondonGooner 0]

How would you feel then if I were to come and slaughter your family pet and then defend myself by saying that people eat cats and dogs in parts of Asia so it's okay?

Like I said in my first post on this topic, if you can kill, maim or inflict pain on an animal for fun then you have the capability to do the same to humans. Psychologists have done tests to prove this theory hence the fact that it is a punishable crime in law.

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

How would you feel then if I were to come and slaughter your family pet and then defend myself by saying that people eat cats and dogs in parts of Asia so it's okay?

Like I said in my first post on this topic, if you can kill, maim or inflict pain on an animal for fun then you have the capability to do the same to humans. Psychologists have done tests to prove this theory hence the fact that it is a punishable crime in law.

ditto. it was a domesticated duck. and a clear warning sign the guy has issues. i have to wonder if those saying it's just a duck would date or be happy with their daughter dating this individual.

[Imua 0]

How would you feel then if I were to come and slaughter your family pet and then defend myself by saying that people eat cats and dogs in parts of Asia so it's okay?

Like I said in my first post on this topic, if you can kill, maim or inflict pain on an animal for fun then you have the capability to do the same to humans. Psychologists have done tests to prove this theory hence the fact that it is a punishable crime in law.

Exactly, it's the cruelty of the act which is so disturbing to me - if he had shot it from behind and the duck didn't see what was coming that would be one thing, but the duck was trusting people and the way he did it was so cruel, horrible way to kill an animal even if you are going to eat it...

Edited September 24, 2007 by Pattu Rani

[Jenn! 918]

How would you feel then if I were to come and slaughter your family pet and then defend myself by saying that people eat cats and dogs in parts of Asia so it's okay?

Like I said in my first post on this topic, if you can kill, maim or inflict pain on an animal for fun then you have the capability to do the same to humans. Psychologists have done tests to prove this theory hence the fact that it is a punishable crime in law.

Well, I wouldn't be happy if you came and killed my pet, but neither would I think we should lock you up and throw away the key.

I think the key word in your second paragraph is capability. Unless the person has actually inflicted harm upon humans, why are we punishing them as if they had?

If cruelty to animals is a sign that someone has psycopathic tendencies, then they need psychological help.

Nobody is saying that ripping ducks' heads off is ok, or that if I had a duck I would be ok with you ripping its head off, or I'd be ok with a duck-head-ripper-offer guy dating my daughter, so I don't know why all these things are being projected. The punishment needs to fit the crime, that's all.

Edited September 24, 2007 by Jenn!

[Fandango 1,439]

a duck-head-ripper-offer guy

Jenn, that made me lol