In what had to be the most unusual SWAT raid in the history of the Los Angeles Police Department, 18 two-man teams of the elite units swarmed the homes of Los Angeles politicians arresting them on charges of animal cruelty to Billy the elephant.
The early morning quiet was broken by wailing police sirens and the pre-dawn dark was sporadically interrupted by flashing squad-car lights as police surrounded the homes.
The incident began hours earlier when, according to a police spokesman, the SWAT office was stampeded by angry residents and phones were swamped with calls demanding that the entire city council, the mayor, city attorney and zoo director be arrested for animal cruelty.
The elephantine problems began when two elephants died due to their confined space, which resulted in severe foot problems that are common among captive elephants and that leads to incurable infections and death.
The City Council decided to approve $42 million to build a 3.6-acre elephant park for Billy and then get a couple of female companions for him to trumpet over, even though game preserve experts say it takes four acres per elephant to maintain them properly.
After spending a hay-load of money, some $13 million plus, they ran out of funds, the second of two female pachyderms died, the drumbeat began to give Billy up to a game preserve in Northern California and the natives began to get restless. Very restless.
Concerned elephant supporters insist Billy is dying of loneliness and has developed tics, such a head-bobbing, head-banging and swaying.
Saying they’ve already spent thousands on the park, council members insist the elephant park should be finished. The opposition says they can finish it and provide the space to “smaller” animals like giraffes that don’t need so much acreage per animal.
The
council is scheduled to make its final decision on Friday.
In light of all the controversy, the LAPD took the angry calls from restless citizen calls very seriously when officers realized how adamant people were to take matters into their own hands.
If police didn't take steps, angry residents would become a thundering herd, making citizens' arrests of all the offending city officials who have steadfastly refused to turn Billy over to a sanctuary in Northern California.
"We've never seen anything like it," said LAPD's community relations Sgt. Leo Lyons.
"It was kind of weird," Lyons added. "As angry as people were over Billy being confined in a small area in the zoo, and as much as they want to see him moved to a sanctuary, they went about it peacefully.
"It was a reserved version of an angry, torch-bearing crowd marching on City Hall," he said.
"They did the right thing by coming to us."
Bill Feral, president of the Save Billy Club, noted that there are laws to protect animals from abuse, and citizens were just trying to get those laws enforced.
"We had to do something to save Billy," Feral said.
"There was pachymonium," said SWAT Lt. Hank Ketchem. "It was obvious that if we didn't do something, the people who want to save Billy would become a thundering herd and try to make their own citizens' arrests. People were determined in their willingness to do just that if we didn't act on their behalf."
Upon hearing the news of the arrests, comedian/actress
Lily Tomlin, who has been quietly and politely lobbying nationwide on behalf of the pachyderm, silently smiled while nodding her approval.
After
Hector Tovar said in his L.A. Times column that, “A zoo without elephants would be a loss for the children of L.A.,” you could almost hear the “Yah! Right!” sarcasm dripping from Tomlin who said such illogic has no merit.
Tomlin stressed that thousands of children know everything there is to know about dinosaurs and love them dearly, yet none of them ever saw one.
Conversely, and not surprisingly, there was the opposite reaction from council members who were arrested.
"We couldn't believe it," said one clueless, mystified councilman who demanded he remain anonymous to protect his safety. "It was a humiliating experience to be rousted in the middle of the night, handcuffed and shackled like that. Shackled, I tell you! Just like ... like ... like some rogue elephant.
"This is impossible," he continued to thunder from his holding cell at the county lockup. "They're not even that passionate when we raise their taxes and fees when we could cut spending instead. We're the City Council. We can do anything we want."
Stamping his feet, swaying back and forth in abject disbelief and bobbing his head, the unnamed councilman kept repeating, "I can't believe it. I can't believe it."
When last seen, he was still trumpeting his complaints while hitting his head on the bars of his cell door.
