A dad in Indiana said he got a ticket for protecting his son after an aggressive goose tried to attack his 4-year-old child.
James McDaniel said the large bird ran across a field and started chasing his boy, WXIN reported.
McDaniel admits to whacking the goose with a plastic Wiffle ball bat before he picked up his son and ran across the street, away from the stunned bird.
But witnesses called police on the protective father.
Marion County Animal Services gave McDaniel a ticket for animal cruelty after witnesses said they saw McDaniel hit the bird three times, WXIN reported.
McDaniel contends he hit the goose only once to protect his child.
Animal control did take the bird to a veterinarian.
The Department of Natural Resources said a person can protect themselves or others from wildlife, but only using a reasonable amount of force in response to the harm an animal can inflict, WXIN reported.
McDaniel will appear in court next week.
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