Illinois Police Officer’s Rescue of Aggressive Snapping Turtle Goes Viral

You think the police academy trains for situations like this?

A police officer from Illinois has gone viral after his recent rescue of a snapping turtle that was struggling to cross a busy road.

Police Rescue Snapping Turtle

It was a matter of "right place, right time" as the now-viral turtle was certainly in need of assistance. A video shared by the Joliet Police Department shows the turtle inching across a busy road near Rock Run Greenway Trail.

An officer in the area noticed cars were swerving around the turtle as it slowly attempted to crawl to safety.

"The turtle was having trouble getting across the roadway, so a 'police escort' was provided for the last leg of the trip to a safer environment that the turtle was initially heading towards," the department wrote on Facebook.

The video, taken from the officer's body cam, shows the snapping turtle was not pleased with being nudged off the road. Eventually, the officer has to pick it up.

"You're fine," the officer reassures the turtle as its head continuously snaps out from under its shell.

The video has been viewed more than 40,000 times since it was first shared.

Hilarious Response To Viral Snapping Turtle Rescue

In addition the thousands of views, the video has also led to some hilarious comments on the Joliet Police Department's Facebook.

READ MORE: Adorable Baby Ducks Trapped In Drain Rescued By Illinois Firefighters

"Shell out the punishment. One ticket for going too slow and another for jaywalking," Eric Rudolph commented.

Others noted the turtle's persistent snapping while being carried away from the road.

"Be sure to count the fingers you have left," Bobby Huffman said on Facebook after watching the video.