The state’s official groundhog Chuckles XI turned himself into the Manchester Police Department after police in Guilford issued an “arrest warrant” for the famous 3-year-old rodent.
The “charges” were brought against the groundhog after its predictions of an early spring were shattered by a major snowstorm that dumped nearly a foot of snow across parts of the state earlier this week.
Now the once-hero rodent may become a felon for his simple mistake.
The announcement was shared on the police department’s official Facebook page. On Monday, the Guilford Police Department launched an investigation into Chuckles’ false prediction, calling the groundhog “Chuck the Liar” for allegedly defrauding the public, and said they were planning on arresting him.
“If anyone has seen this Marmota Monax that goes by the name, Chuckles, let us know because we want the last laugh…Chuckles we are coming for you. Warrant in hand. You have the right to stop predicting early spring. Defrauding the public is a crime and you must be held accountable,” the police department said in a social media post.
After a few days of hiding from law enforcement, Chuckles was booked and is in custody, according to police.
Chuckles XI lives at the Lutz Children’s Museum in Manchester, where he also delivered his prediction earlier this month. Patricia Buxton, director of the museum, called the warrant for Chuckles’ arrest “harsh and unfair.”
(Aaron Flaum/ Hartford Courant)
“Chuckles stands by his prognostication. He consulted with his groundhog network, he looked at his models and data charts and calculated everything as he does every year,” Buxton said. “He made his decision on the best information he had at this time. We think it’s a little harsh they called him a liar. But like any upstanding groundhog, he turned himself into the police because he knows he will be vindicated in a court of law.”
But all kidding aside, the Guilford Police Department said the “arrest” is about public safety and getting the message out.
“The whole point of the post was to put out the message about the parking ban and the weather related issues that were coming,” said Lt. Martina Jakober of the Guilford police. “We thought this would be a fun way to get people involved in the process. Typically with our social media we like to put a little humor with our posts to get the message out better. People tend to share it and have fun with it.”
The post, which was put on Monday before Tuesday’s snowstorm, listed several tips to ensure residents stayed safe ahead of the storm.
“If you don’t have to go out tomorrow we suggest you stay in and have a nice day off. If you are going to have to shovel, do it in increments as the snow is predicted to be very heavy,” it said, among other tips.
Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com