PHOTOS: Deer breaks into, damages Arkansas church

A deer broke into First Baptist Church in Fayetteville on Monday night.
A deer broke into First Baptist Church in Fayetteville on Monday night.

Members of one Arkansas church are scrubbing the floors and sweeping away shards of broken glass Tuesday afternoon after a break-in by an unusual intruder: a deer.

A passer-by driving down North College Avenue in Fayetteville about 5 p.m. Monday when the animal ran in front of his car and straight through a window at First Baptist Church across the street.

The driver then told Pastor Douglas Falknor, who was upstairs at the time, that a deer was on the loose in the building at 20 E. Dickson St.

By the time Fayetteville Animal Services arrived on the scene, church members had erected a barricade. Following a trail of blood, officer Tom Rankin made his way through a pile of couches and office chairs to the classroom where the deer was hiding.

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Photos courtesy of First Baptist Church in Fayetteville

“It was trying to jump through another window,” he said. “It just wanted to get out.”

It took three tranquilizers to subdue the deer, Rankin said. The deer, which had multiple lacerations and a broken leg, eventually had to be euthanized.

“We’ve had situations like this before,” Rankin said. “Sometimes these deer get themselves into situations they can’t get themselves out of.”

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