Florida teen filmed ‘shotgunning’ Twisted Tea with alligator criminally charged

A Florida teen who was filmed “shotgunning” an alcoholic drink with a baby alligator in a Hardee’s parking lot has been criminally charged, authorities said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reportedly caught wind of a video circulating on social media showing the teenage boy chugging a Twisted Tea with the young gator’s jaws clamped down on the 24 oz. can, according to WFLA.

An investigation into the 15-second clip led authorities to charge one of the teens in the video for taking the alligator without a permit.

“The lack of respect and responsibility shown toward this animal was disappointing to see….this serves as a strong reminder of the consequences of such behavior,” the FWC said in a statement to the outlet.

The video, taken on Thursday outside of the popular Plant City restaurant shows one of a group of teenagers pick up the reptile, hold it in the air and chug the drink before carelessly dropping the animal on the ground.

Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation president Vernon Yates reviewed the video and told WFLA “This has got to stop.”

“I could see multiple things in there that are just wrong,” he said. “Wrong possession of it [and] wrong to just drop it on the hot pavement like that.”

“In my opinion, everyone they got on video that touched it needs to be brought in front of a judge, and then the judge needs to take some serious points of views to use as an example,” he added.

Yates noted the gator was “not very lively,” suggesting the animal may have suffered more abuse than just what was caught on camera.

“Normally, a little alligator about that size, when he hit the ground he should’ve hit it running,” he said.

“There’s got to be something better they could be doing with their time besides tormenting some poor little alligator,” Yates said.

The baby gator was captured and released in a local retention pond, where it is alive and well, FWC said.