Robert Beck went into his local grocery store for some cough medicine and ended up with a deer in his hands.
Beck was in the store with his wife when he suddenly heard a loud thud followed by people screaming.
“First thing I thought, ‘Man, there’s someone in here with a frickin’ gun,’” the Pennsylvania-resident told reporters. Luckily, it was just a deer.
According to reports, the animal had broken into the store through its glass doors shortly after 9 p.m. Not long after Beck heard the other shoppers screaming, he spotted the doe running toward the store’s baked goods, which were shielded by glass.
“When I seen it, it was game on!” he told the York Daily Record.
Beck had been battling a head cold for a few weeks, but that didn’t stop the 45-year-old from subduing the deer with his bare hands. As it ran back toward the front of the store, Beck managed to grab the doe and began leading her toward the doors by the neck.
When they turned a corner together and spotted more people, the doe got scared and began squirming. That’s when she kicked Beck in the ribs and knocked him down.
Seeing this, two other shoppers quickly got involved—one man held the deer while the other put a jacket over her head so that she didn’t get spooked again.
The group of men managed to lead her outside together. When they got out to the parking lot, Beck gave the deer a quick once-over to determine what kind of shape she was in. When he saw that she was in relatively good health, they let her go.
By the time the regional police arrived, the deer was long gone. Although they wouldn’t recommend the average citizen get involved with a wild animal, the officers praised Beck and the other men’s efforts.
