PEOPLE BEING PEOPLE

A Tennessee police officer lost his job after he fired his gun at a squirrel running loose in a crowded convenience store. Officer Jody Putnam was inside the shop when employees spotted the squirrel. Police say Putnam fired his gun at the rodent but missed, and then tried to spray the critter with mace. “There was a lot of people that come out [of the store] coughing,” said owner Carl Duffield. “It was comical, but I’m sure [the customers] didn’t feel that way.” Putnam’s overly aggressive attempt to collar the squirrel led to his dismissal.