Photos: Alligator Helps Police Kill Suspect In Florida

Matthew Riggins was just 22-years-old and had been missing for ten days before his body was found, but the reason he encountered the massive animal has left some people unsympathetic.

Riggins was being hunted by police after residents of the lake at Barefoot Bay reported two men acting suspiciously while dressed in black on November 10.

A helicopter and a K9 unit were deployed to track Riggins, and deputies have reported that he called his girlfriend before he jumped a fence and hid in the lake.

The dive team that recovered the body said they were ‘aggressively approached’ by an 11-foot alligator in the lake and suspected it was the culprit behind Riggins death.

The gator was however put down in the interest of human safety. Following examination “remains consistent with the injuries to Riggins” were discovered inside the animal’s stomach.