City officials keep watch over unusual-acting raccoon

YOUNGSTOWN — A city police officer stood guard with a shotgun this morning, awaiting the arrival of an animal trapper, as a raccoon sat atop the steps in a sheltered recess at the rear entrance to a brick house at Oak Hill Avenue and New Court near Oak Hill Cemetery and Oakhill Renaissance Place.

The shotgun-wielding Patrolman Jerry Fulmer kept watch over the raccoon at 9:30 a.m. after the homeowner called police to report its presence.

Fulmer observed that it was unusual to see a raccoon at that hour, and its visibility in that location at that time might mean it could be ill.

While Fulmer stood guard, the raccoon left its perch in the doorway and wandered underneath vehicles parked in the driveway.

Officers and a dispatcher were overheard discussing a possible case of rabies on a police scanner channel.

This is a developing news story. Watch Vindy.com for updates.