Why did the beaver cross the road? Redmond local says he was ‘on a mission from God’

An unlikely suspect necessitated a police response late Wednesday night as a “very determined beaver” attempted to cross the road in Redmond.

At approximately 11:15 p.m., the Redmond Police Department (RPD) responded to reports of a beaver crossing the 9500 block of Avondale Road, “without regard for public safety,” RPD announced.

Nearby resident Eyal Tropen claimed that he attempted to reason with the beaver for roughly 10 minutes, but the suspect tuned him out and continued on his journey.

“He alternated from a mission-focused march along the side of the road, repeated attempts to cross (despite heavy oncoming traffic), and slumping in the rain gutter — absolutely refusing to get back on the sidewalk,” Tropen stated via Facebook.

Beaver ignored verbal commands, continued to evade officers

In an attempt to divert the beaver from his reckless ways, Tropen had a nice heart-to-heart with the suspect before officers could arrive.

“During our conversation, before the police got there, he said, ‘I can’t be stopped or even slowed down, nothing’s going to get in my way,” Tropen wrote. “‘The cops won’t even catch me, because I’m on a mission from God.'”

RPD noted its attempts at verbal commands were ignored as the beaver continued to evade officers and resist questioning.

After a lengthy, one-sided negotiation, officers allowed the beaver to cross the road and head toward a wooded area.

The department warned drivers to be careful traveling along that stretch of road, as the suspect had no regard for crosswalks or traffic laws.

No citations were issued against the beaver.

Tropen thanked RPD for their assistance in removing the not-so fleet-of-foot suspect from the roadway, stating, “This officer earned his Beaver Herding Badge tonight!”

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