Watch as 400-pound alligator takes on 4 North Carolina officers in tug-of-war

A dangerous tug-of-war played out Monday near the North Carolina coast, with a 400-pound alligator at one end of a rope and four Sunset Beach officers at the other end.

Four men were necessary, because aggressive alligators are prone to use a “death roll” spinning maneuver to overwhelm challengers.

And that’s just what the alligator did in this case, a police department video shows.

“The Sunset Beach Police Department responded to a 911 call from a Sea Trail resident who reported that a ‘15-foot alligator’ was nearly in the roadway,” the department reported in a Facebook post.

“Sergeant (Billy) Bopst arrived on scene and quickly recognized the size of the animal and that assistance was needed. Animal Control Officer (Bill) Arp and Captain (Brannon) Gray immediately responded, and a coordinated plan.”

The resulting brawl saw the alligator rapidly tumbling at the officers like a log rolling down hill.

However, all that rolling eventually wore the alligator out, leaving it unable to keep up the fight, the video shows.

“The alligator was safely secured and evaluated at the scene. It measured 10 feet 10 inches long ... had a tail circumference of 32 inches, and was aged at approximately 25-30 years old,” police reported.

“Sunset Beach Police Department does not remove alligators simply for appearing in residential areas. However, when there is a potential risk to public safety, and to the safety of the animal itself, relocation may be necessary. This incident comes during peak alligator mating season (May through June), when males are more active and mobile.”

The alligator was taken to a nearby lake and released, officials said.

The department’s video had been viewed more than 45,000 times on Facebook as of May 12, and racked up hundreds of reactions and comments. Among the commenters were people who worried children might cross paths with the alligator.

“I believe this is the same one that spent six hours in our yard last weekend. We didn’t go out, but we watched from the window,” Kerri Wilkinson Allen posted on the police department’s Facebook page.

“Too big to be roaming a neighborhood,” Elizabeth Palmerton wrote.

Alligators are native to southeastern North Carolina, which is considered the northernmost range of the predators.

Sunset Beach is near the South Carolina state line, about a 180-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh.

This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 2:46 PM.