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Cat set free 'without charge' after entering VicPD vehicle during impaired-driving investigation

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A Victoria police officer says a curious cat has been released without charges after it snuck into his police cruiser on Sunday morning.

The "unauthorized occupant in a patrol vehicle" entered the police car around 2 a.m., after the officer had pulled over a car.

Victoria police say the officer was in the James Bay area when they were flagged down by a driver.

The driver told the officer they were concerned about another car that was being driven erratically.

The officer found the vehicle and pulled it over in the 500-block of Kingston Street, where the driver showed signs of drug impairment, according to VicPD.

"So I pulled over a driver and while I'm talking to her this character here decided to jump into my car," the officer says in a video posted to social media Monday.

"Hey. Hey you, you can't just jump into my car," the officer says to the cat, which paces on his dashboard.

"Well, I guess you can," he concludes.

Police say the driver of the stopped vehicle initially started a sobriety test but then decided to stop part way through. The driver was issued a 24-hour driving ban and their vehicle was towed from the scene, police say.

Meanwhile, the friendly cat was allowed to go free "without charge," according to VicPD.

A community member tells CTV News that the cat appears to be a neighbourhood pet named Cazador that lives in the James Bay area and is sometimes spotted exploring shops and patios nearby.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Cazador (@cazador_cat)

Victoria police are reminding all residents to find a safe way home after a night out.

"If you are using drugs or alcohol, do not drive," said VicPD on Monday. "Take a taxi, use transit or plan for a designated driver."

"Even having your vehicle towed home is a safer and significantly cheaper alternative to an immediate roadside prohibition, criminal impaired driving charge or harming or killing someone."

Anyone who thinks they saw an impaired driver on the road is asked to call 911.

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