Raccoon Incident Leads to Arrest in Kentucky

In a rather bizarre sequence of events, a man from Kentucky didn’t just decide to steal; instead, he opted for something even more unusual—he brought a raccoon into the mix.

Witness accounts indicate that Jonathan Mason, 40, was arrested after introducing the raccoon during a confrontation at a bar called the Big Apple Grill and Bar in Murray, Kentucky, on June 6. He’s facing multiple charges, including assault.

Mason, often referred to by locals as Cowboy Cody, is known for causing disturbances in the area. According to a bar employee, he lives alone on a nearby farm and has a history of trouble.

Mary Hafner, 37, who has worked at the bar for five years, noted that Mason arrived on a Friday night. She recognized him as someone who was usually intoxicated.

Hafner thought maybe she could handle the situation without escalating it, recalling, “He always liked me.” After, she firmly asked him to leave, and for a moment, it seemed like he complied.

Feeling relieved initially, Hafner said, “I thought that was the end of it.”

But Mason returned, with a raccoon. “He must have caught it on his farm earlier that day,” Hafner described. “As a bartender, I’ve seen some wild things, but this was something else.”

As the raccoon stirred up confusion among patrons, Hafner admitted to feeling more scared than anything else. “That raccoon was really agitated,” she added.

Hafner instructed her coworkers to let the situation play out, but one employee ventured to grab the raccoon by its tail. Unsurprisingly, the raccoon bit him, and he ended up needing a rabies shot.

Realizing she needed to take charge, Hafner managed to corner the raccoon and safely take it outside.

It’s worth mentioning that this wasn’t Mason’s first encounter with law enforcement regarding animals. He had previously led police on a drunken chase through Murray on a mule back in December, which resulted in additional arrests.

Hafner recalled, “Catching him wasn’t a big deal for me—I’m from Kentucky; I know how to handle these things.” She laughed lightly, considering the ongoing oddities surrounding Mason.

After this raccoon incident, police arrested Mason when he refused to cooperate later that night. He is currently facing charges that include trespassing, assault, and failure to maintain insurance, among others, and has been booked into jail.