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Deputies: Pinellas man captured, beat alligator with shovel

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PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Deputies say a Pinellas man is facing animal cruelty charges for beating an alligator with a shovel after dragging it out of a pond. 

David Healey, 65, was arrested after witnesses told deputies they saw the suspect beat the 3-foot alligator. 

When deputies questioned Healey, he admitted to using a fishing line and raw chicken to catch the alligator before striking it with a shovel. Healey claimed he was removing the alligator out of concern for other people's safety. 

He told deputies that he saw the alligator swim away afterward.