With Halloween approaching, many families in the United States have started decorating their homes with pumpkins and other ornaments to welcome the arrival of this traditional holiday. However, in Parma Heights, a city in northern Ohio, a large inflatable pumpkin rolled away from a household as if it had gone AWOL. The local police quickly sprang into action to “capture” the runaway pumpkin and return it safely to its owner.
According to a post on the Parma Heights Police Department’s Facebook page on October 8th, police officers were seen chasing a gigantic inflatable pumpkin rolling through town in the early morning hours. They quickly regained control of the oversized pumpkin and safely returned it to its rightful place.
The post read, “This once again proves that our police officers spare no effort, even for holiday decorations!”
Many netizens commented on the incident, with one person saying, “I’ve seen this (pumpkin) near my home.” Another joked, “The pumpkin might have been issued a speeding ticket and the homeowner arrested by the police.” Yet another person quipped, “Pumpkin on the run!”
The Parma Heights Police Department later shared footage captured by a body camera worn by one of the officers involved in apprehending the rogue pumpkin. The department stated that due to numerous requests from the public, they decided to make this rare scene of pumpkin chasing public.
In a playful manner, the department joked, “Police can confirm that Cinderella’s carriage did indeed turn back into a pumpkin just past midnight in Parma Heights.”
From the footage, it can be seen that the incident took place in the dim light of dawn, with two officers initially “subduing” the pumpkin before placing it in the back seat of the patrol car, where it had begun to deflate. One officer remarked, “I was basically in pursuit.”
Speaking of Halloween decorations, a recent quirky incident occurred in Fountain Inn, South Carolina.
According to People magazine, a couple in Fountain Inn went all out to decorate their home for Halloween by making their windows appear as if they were on fire. The decoration was so realistic that people mistook it for a real fire and began calling the fire department to extinguish the supposed blaze.
The homeowner, Amanda Riggins Peden, shared a video on Facebook on October 3, showcasing the illusion of their home appearing to be engulfed in flames from the outside. She specifically wrote, “From now until October 31, our home will ‘be on fire’ every night from 8 pm to 10 pm (not real fire) as part of our Halloween decorations. Please do not call the fire department.”
Although this “burning house” decoration, which has been used for several years, brought a festive atmosphere, it wasn’t to everyone’s liking. Russell Alexander, the local fire chief, revealed that the department has received four calls related to the “burning house” decoration so far this month.
He mentioned that despite being aware of the couple’s decorative setup, when they receive a report of a fire, they still dispatch a fire truck to check the situation to prevent any actual emergencies.
Alexander stated, “Morally, this is our job.”