A 40-year-old man from Kentucky, referred to by locals as “Cowboy Cody,” found himself in handcuffs earlier this month after reportedly releasing a live racoon inside a bar. This act was allegedly a form of revenge against the owner and staff following his ejection due to disruptive conduct.
Jonathan Mason has been arrested and faces charges of assault, criminal trespassing, and resisting arrest, according to court documents. Mason is now confronted with a charge for not having the necessary insurance on his pickup truck, which collided with a police car after he left the vehicle in neutral post-arrest.
Murray Police Department officers were dispatched to an incident at The Big Apple Grill and Bar, located in the 1000 block of Arcadia Circle, approximately 200 miles south-west of Louisville, as detailed in a probable cause affidavit. Authorities received reports of a suspect, later named Mason, who deliberately set a racoon loose inside the restaurant before making a quick getaway in a red pickup truck.
Authorities swiftly identified the car as it made a turn onto Highway 94 East. An officer turned on the emergency lights of the squad car and positioned himself behind Mason, signalling him to pull over. Mason persisted in his driving, seemingly gesturing for the officers to pass him by, before ultimately steering into a parking lot.
Authorities highlighted Mason’s previous encounters with firearms in interactions with law enforcement, prompting them to approach his vehicle with weapons drawn.
“Once we approached the window Mason refused to roll them down, at that time more officers arrived on scene,” the affidavit states. “[An officer] used a window breaker to open the Driver side window and open the door.”
Mason was taken out of the car and arrested by the police, but the vehicle was “left in neutral and rolled backwards,” colliding with one of the police cars present at the scene. In a surprising turn of events during the completion of an accident report, it came to light that Mason’s vehicle lacked insurance coverage.
Authorities arrived at the restaurant to gather witness accounts and discovered that Mason had a prior ban from The Big Apple.
Body camera footage reveals patrons at the establishment sharing their accounts with police regarding the incident. Onlookers reported that they welcomed Mason inside, unaware that he was holding the creature tightly, and observed as he “tossed it” into the eatery.
A racoon attacked an employee during an attempt to capture and release the creature outdoors. A rabies shot was mandated for him.
Upon examining the surveillance footage of the incident, the establishment owner remarked to the police that Mason appeared to have a “death wish” in his interactions with law enforcement, further commenting, “But meth’s a helluva drug.”
A witness informed authorities that the creature was Mason’s “beloved racoon.”
Mary Hafner, a bartender at the restaurant, shared with the New York Post that Mason had captured the animal earlier in the day and was observed “carrying it around with him.”
In a bizarre turn of events, a man named Mason found himself in a wild police pursuit in December, all while riding a malnourished mule under the influence. Authorities reported that Mason arrived at a bar on a mule and started “whipping” customers with “a bullwhip” before making his escape on the animal. Following the incident, he faced charges of third-degree criminal trespass.
