In Missouri, a dramatic scene unfolded when officers attempting to arrest a sex offender found themselves in a precarious situation as the wooden deck they stood on gave way, sending them crashing down from the second story.

The startling incident, captured on body camera footage, occurred on July 21 in Huntsville. Among those who fell were nine officers, including members from the US Marshals Service.

The video, shared by the US Marshals Service on Wednesday, reveals a tense moment as the officers, some armed and ready, lined up outside an apartment door on Vaunita Street’s 400 block before the structure beneath them suddenly failed.

According to the Associated Press, the officers were on the verge of apprehending 26-year-old Jacob Alexander Munoz, who was wanted for failing to register as a sex offender, when the unexpected collapse occurred.

This multi-agency effort drew personnel from the Randolph County Sheriff’s Department, the Moberly Police Department, and the North Missouri Drug Task Force, highlighting the collaborative approach to law enforcement in the region.

Seven officers were treated and released from the hospital for injuries ‘consistent with a pretty serious fall,’ according to Steven Lewis, the US Marshal for the Eastern District of Missouri.

Their injuries included broken bones but were not life threatening, Lewis said.

Munoz was taken into custody later that day, according to the US Marshals Service cited by FOX News.

Munoz was convicted of possessing child pornography in July 2022, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Sex Offender Registry.

His victim was listed as a girl between the ages of nine and 13 and the offense happened in March 2020 in Randolph County, per the registry.

Munoz was described as a 5–foot–11, 140 pound white man with brown eyes. A recent picture showed that his shoulder–length hair had been dyed in a reddish hue.

Past photos showed him with shorter, darker hair and glasses in 2024, as well as a buzzcut type of hairstyle in 2022.

The registry noted that Munoz had been released from his confinement on September 24, 2024, and that his parole was set to end on June 24, 2028.

As of Saturday, Munoz was listed as ‘compliant’ in the Missouri sex offender registry.

The US Marshals Service said Wednesday on X that ‘unexpected hazards can arise at any moment during an enforcement operation.’

It said the footage highlighted ‘both the unpredictable dangers law enforcement faces and the discipline and preparedness of the team under extreme conditions.

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The agency pointed out how none of the officers’ firearms had discharged amid their fall to the ground.

Lewis had said in July when deck collapse happened that it was ‘almost as if a trap door opened,’ according to ABC17.

‘Not away from the structure, but straight down, which gave them almost no time to react,’ Lewis said.

Four of the seven injured law enforcement officers were Deputy US Marshals, two North Missouri Drug Task Force members and one a county deputy.

The Randolph County Sheriff’s Department was serving an arrest warrant in coordination with the US Marshals Service.

Lewis said all of the officers were taken to hospitals for treatment. None of their injuries were life–threatening, but some could require surgery.

‘All received injuries that would be consistent with a pretty serious fall,’ Lewis told the outlet.

‘Some broken bones, some other type injuries,’ he continued.

Huntsville resident Melanie Foster voiced her concern about the state of the apartment complex

‘The drugs that are in and out of here, it’s terrible,’ Foster told the outlet. ‘I won’t be sad if it goes.’

She called the building a ‘hazard’ and a ‘danger,’ pointing to the deck collapse that made it impossible to normally reach three of the six upstairs units.

‘If that happened, as you can see, the next half is getting ready to go,’ Foster added.

Some residents were spotted using a ladder to gather belongings from an apartment and load them into a car, per the outlet.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the US Marshals Service for further comment.

In a recent discourse, podcaster Joe Rogan advised Democrats that shedding their “woke” label requires transparency. He suggested they need to openly identify the flaws in their past policies and explain the rationale behind previously supporting them.

Rogan questioned, “If you championed ‘defund the police’ without fully considering its ramifications, then let’s discuss the impact. What exactly did you expect to achieve and how did that work out for you?” He was pressing liberals on whether they thoroughly contemplated the fallout from advocating for police defunding.

He went on to assert that there’s a potential path to redemption, but it hinges on candor. “To earn genuine trust, admit where mistakes were made,” Rogan emphasized while reflecting on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks about the evolution of “woke” culture.

“Acknowledge your missteps, and genuinely express your thoughts on those errors,” he urged. He stressed the importance of honesty and sincerity, highlighting that people need to sense the embarrassment over misguided decisions and recognize the herd mentality that was followed.

Rogan cautioned, “Without that acknowledgment, you’re stuck in pretense. Persisting in deception only deepens the disillusionment over time, and that’s how politicians often end up disillusioned themselves.”

Later in the same podcast, Rogan’s guest, YouTuber Chris Williamson, voiced skepticism that Democrats would have ever distanced themselves from Woke 1.0 in the first place if former Vice President Kamala Harris had won the election.

“Think about what would have happened if Kamala had won,” he said. “Would AOC have been talking about Woke 1.0 was crazy or would that have been a continuation of, ‘Well, look, we put the policies out, people like the policies.’ How much of this is a reversal of the position because it wasn’t effective?”

Fox News Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s office for comment. 

Commentators across the political spectrum voiced doubts about whether the modern Democratic Party actually plans to pivot from far-left cultural issues.

“I don’t believe the Democrats want to be seen backing away from wokeness, especially now that they’re sharing a ‘big tent’ from people who want to empty the prisons,” Media Research Center’s NewsBusters executive editor Tim Graham told Fox News Digital. 

“They’re just less confident than they were in 2020, when they could proclaim that race riots are ‘rebellions’ and violence was an acceptable method to create the social change they wanted. It was like political Drano.”

Democratic consultant and former House Judiciary Committee minority chief counsel Julian Epstein offered a stern warning to his party.

“There is not much difference between Woke 1 and Woke 2. They both involve the commodification of grievance and rage, and then the packaging of lunatic ideas that do little to help voters and seek to make them permanent wards of the state,” he said. 

“This is completely different from Democrats of the ’90s who would proclaim the U.S. as the best opportunity machine ever invented and then try to give people agency.”

Mary Marslender, a Republican consultant and the president and founder of Leverage PR, suggested that talk of ditching Woke 1.0 in vague terms is a cynical strategy.

“The vague talk of ditching ‘Woke 1.0’ is a temporary political strategy; it’s not genuine course correction,” she said. 

“Democrats refuse to specifically call out the craziness; they have yet to stand up for women by preventing biological males in women’s sports, stop the DEI agenda in our schools and institutions or advocate for safe communities by stopping their support of soft-on-crime progressive prosecutors. Additionally, their lack of concrete policy reversals is revealing.

“Democrats wanting to distance themselves from Woke 1 have claimed they want to ‘fix our broken immigration system,’ but such rhetoric rings hollow when they oppose interior enforcement, call to abolish ICE, defend violent illegals who have crossed our borders and unequivocally support sanctuary cities. 

“Had Harris prevailed, the same coalition that championed the 1619 Project, policing reforms adjacent to defunding and gender ideology in schools would have viewed any moderation as betrayal,” she added. 

“It’s power, not principle, that drives the Democrat Party. Until Democrats can explicitly admit fault and demonstrate a serious reversal of Woke 1, American voters are right to treat the so-called ‘post-woke’ shift as a temporary political strategy rather than a genuine course correction.”

Former Republican National Committee spokesperson Elizabeth Pipko said recent events indicate Democrats are simply responding to which way the wind blows.

“Democrats of today tend to turn with the wind,” she said. “Depending on what is most popular with their base, that’s what you’ll hear from candidates during the primaries. And then, during the presidential election, you’ll notice the Democrat nominee pretending they never supported abolishing police, men in women’s sports or abolishing [ICE].

“Watching Democrats in 2026 pretending they never called for defunding the police has been incredibly entertaining considering almost all of them still have old posts up clearly advocating for that very policy,” Pipko continued. 

“Considering how much damage some of these views have caused, it is extremely pompous to simply dismiss this time in our politics as ‘Woke 1.’ This shows how little Democrats actually believe in the what they say or do.”

Theo Wold, former White House deputy assistant for domestic policy under Trump and former assistant attorney general, suggested that even Rogan was not showing enough skepticism toward the Democrats.

“AOC’s sarcastic dismissal of Woke 1.0 isn’t a sign that Democrats are abandoning a leftist agenda. It’s a sign that they’re moving on to Ohase 2 of their project,” he said. 

“She now casually laughs at the radical ideas she actively promoted just a few years ago. And Joe Rogan, unfortunately, is too gullible to see the truth: This is who Democrats are,” Wold added. 

“They won’t abandon these ideas or apologize for them because they believe them, and when in power, they will ruthlessly advance them.”

Thousands have been urgently evacuated from their homes as the colossal Hawk Fire blazes through over 10,000 acres in Nevada.

By Saturday evening, the rapidly expanding inferno had grown to 10,523 acres, triggering evacuation directives in northwest Reno and the North Valleys, as reported by KRXI2.

By late Saturday, firefighters had yet to establish any containment of this volatile blaze, which had earlier been estimated to cover roughly 3,000 acres.

Immediate evacuation orders were issued for areas north and northwest of Somersett, north of Verdi, the west side of Golden Valley, Lemmon Valley, and Stead. Additional sections of these locations were placed on alert to prepare for potential evacuation.

Overall, more than 6,000 residents found themselves subject to some form of evacuation mandate.

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, declared a state of emergency in Washoe County, where Reno is, because of the Hawk Fire, which he said was ‘spreading quickly and threatening homes and structures.’ 

He reiterated the evacuation orders and noted that the fire was an ‘active and rapidly evolving situation.’ 

The Hawk Fire started around 11.30am on Saturday about one mile north of Cold Creek Trail, near Somersett, according to the Reno Gazette Journal.

Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve, an independent, said Saturday night that structures had already been burned as a result of the fire, though she did not share specific details.

‘Your life is more important than a building,’ Schieve said. ‘Evacuating before the fire arrives also allows our firefighters to focus their efforts on battling the blaze.’

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office in Reno urged locals to ‘GO NOW’ Saturday evening on X, alongside a photo depicting a gigantic plume of smoke. 

An evacuation site had been set up at Hall 4 of the Reno Sparks Convention Center on 4590 S. Virginia Street, authorities said.

The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District said earlier that the fire was moving northeast towards North Virginia Street between Seneca Drive and Copperfield Drive.

It threatened roughly 1,000 homes as a result, according to the fire district.

As the fire continues to spread, authorities are expected to issue new updates and evacuation directions.

US Route 395 was closed in both directions from Parr Boulevard to Red Rock Road on Saturday night because of the massive fire, according to the Reno Fire Department.

Nearly 50,000 people north of Reno were without power as of Saturday night.

The outages were concentrated in the Cold Springs, Stead and University Ridge areas. 

The emergency room at North Valleys also had to temporarily close as a result of the Hawk Fire, according to KOLO.

Patients were being immediately evacuated using a safe transport plan, according to the outlet.

The fire, which has not been contained at all so far, evoked stunning images across Reno on Saturday.

People driving out of town were met with seemingly interminable amounts of smoke as the horizon took on a red tint from the fiery conditions.

The Evelyn Mount Northeast Community Center was previously being used as an evacuation site, but agencies said it was now full. 

The emergency room at North Valleys had to temporarily close as a result of the Hawk Fire, according to KOLO.

Patients were being immediately evacuated using a safe transport plan, according to the outlet.

A red flag warning had been in effect in Reno on Saturday, which the National Weather Service deemed ‘critical fire weather.’

Wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour with humidity as low as 12 percent was expected across the area.

The NWS said those conditions offered ‘rapid fire growth potential’ as they urged people to not drag trailer chains, drive over dry grass or go target shooting.

Though the Hawk Fire started in Nevada, California was also feeling the brunt of the blaze.

Sierra Nevada was placed under an evacuation warning, meaning that residents should be prepared to leave their homes. 

About 14,800 customers in the Truckee area, in Sierra Nevada, were without power on Saturday because of the fire, according to SFGATE.

The Truckee Donner Public Utility District said this was because of an ’emergency de-energization of the transmission line that feeds our system’ due to how close it was to the Hawk Fire. An estimate for a return was not available. 

Mary Peltola, Alaska’s Democratic Senate hopeful and former state representative, has a history of absenteeism that may influence her campaign for the US Senate. Records reveal that Peltola, while serving in the Alaska House of Representatives, missed nearly 20% of votes and was absent from over a third of the Bethel City Council meetings during her tenure.

Between 1999 and 2009, Peltola missed 794 out of 4,265 state House votes, equating to 18.6%, as documented in legislative records. Additionally, during her time on the Bethel City Council from 2011 to 2013, she was absent for 22 out of 60 meetings, making up 36.67% of her absences, according to city records.

With these figures coming to light, Peltola’s dedication to her role is under scrutiny as she approaches Alaska’s impending general election, a pivotal contest that may sway the balance of power in the US Senate.

Nick Poche, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, criticized Peltola in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying, “Alaskans deserve an all-the-time workhorse like Dan Sullivan, not someone like Peltola who knifes Alaskans in the back when she even bothers to show up.”

The records indicate that Peltola’s attendance issues peaked during the 23rd Legislature between 2003 and 2004, where she failed to participate in 334 out of 1,019 votes in the Alaska House. Furthermore, city records highlight her absence from nine of 22 council meetings in 2013 and 11 of 32 in 2012.

Peltola has also faced criticism from conservatives for missing votes while serving in the United States Congress from 2022-2024, when she missed 235 of 1,370 roll-call votes, or 17.2%, according to GovTrack data.

In addition to missed votes, Peltola’s critics have pointed to her time in Congress not resulting in any bills or resolutions for which she was the primary sponsor becoming law, compared to Sullivan who has had several bills signed into law.

“She couldn’t even get a single bill signed into law,” the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) posted on X in January. “Now, she wants a promotion.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Peltola campaign spokesperson defended the absences, saying Peltola, a mother of seven, took maternity leave after giving birth to three of her children while serving in the state House. 

The spokesperson added that, excluding excused absences, Peltola missed only about 6% of votes and continued to advance bipartisan measures throughout her tenure.

“Three of Mary’s children were born during her time in the state legislature and she took maternity leave. That didn’t stop her from working hard for Alaskans, from passing bills to improve public safety in rural Alaska to increasing Alaska energy production,” the Peltola campaign said.

The campaign also said Peltola spent summers at a fishing camp and that some city council absences occurred during fishing months or because of other council priorities.

Turning to Sullivan’s attendance record, the spokesperson said he has missed a significant number of votes and committee hearings, calling his absences “an insult to Alaskans” and saying that Sullivan has been “slacking off” missing fisheries subcommittee hearings.

Peltola announced her Senate bid in January to represent Alaska and unseat Sullivan, a two-term senator backed by President Trump and also advanced to the general election in November. She finished ahead of Sullivan in Tuesday’s primary.

Alaska’s unique election system uses a nonpartisan top-four primary, in which candidates from all parties appear on the same ballot, followed by ranked-choice voting in the general election.

Bill Maher halted Hunter Biden mid-conversation as they delved into the ongoing conflict in Iran, delivering a sharp reminder about the situation’s reality. The comedian didn’t hold back as he confronted the former first son with some hard truths about the escalating tensions.

On Friday night’s episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, the younger Biden appeared as a guest to chat about a range of topics, including his father, President Joe Biden, the Iranian conflict, and his own journey of overcoming addiction.

During their exchange, Hunter, 56, took a swing at Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former President Donald Trump, criticizing his involvement as the U.S. Special Envoy for Peace in talks with Iran.

Expressing frustration, Hunter told Maher: ‘[Jared Kushner] is acting as an unofficial, unappointed messenger to the Middle East for a conflict no one requested. It’s absurd!’ he exclaimed.

As Hunter wrapped up his statement, Maher interjected with a quick retort: ‘Not nobody.’

Biden quipped: ‘Oh, that’s true, that’s true. Bibi Netanyahu asked for it.’ 

The audience clapped as Maher took control of the conversation, looked Biden in the eyes, and said: ‘Your father, among every other Democrat, excuse me.

‘Every Democrat said Iran can’t have nuclear weapons,’ Maher stated as Biden continued to share his opinion. 

‘And every single Democrat and every president since Jimmy Carter refused what the Israelis wanted, which was to bomb Iran. Every single one of them! The only person who fell for it was Donald Trump,’ Biden replied. 

‘True,’ Maher simply responded to his guest. 

During the show, Maher also questioned Biden about possibly profiting off his father’s name. 

Biden argued that he is often misunderstood by people, and that he didn’t do ‘any business’ when his dad was in the White House. 

‘One of the things that people, I think, don’t understand is that when my dad was president, I didn’t do any business,’ he told Maher. 

‘I sold paintings, and I sold paintings to people that then had to testify before Congress under oath. I made an average of $225,000 a year.’ 

Maher then proceeded to bring up Biden’s time on the board of directors for Burisma Holdings, a Ukranian energy company. 

He held that position from 2014 to 2019, while his father was former President Barack Obama’s vice president. 

‘But would have been working for an energy company out of Ukraine? Was that really the thing you studied in school?,’ Maher asked Biden. 

‘I went to Yale Law School,’ he replied as Maher kept on quizzing him. 

‘You got that job because [of your dad]. Just admit it,’ Maher continued. 

Biden replied: ‘Yeah, I just did. 100 percent,’ before going to acknowledge his privilege as the son of a former president. 

‘I’ve said on a million interviews, is that, you know, I’m incredibly privileged. I mean, beyond anyone’s wildest imagination, not only because of who my dad was, but because of the father that he was. And so a lot of privilege comes from that, and I don’t deny that in any way,’ he added. 

Biden’s appearance comes just days after Trump sent Kushner into a surprise meeting with Hamas leaders in an attempt to get them to disarm Gaza, according to an Axios report.   

Kushner, the husband of Ivanka Trump, met with leaders of the Islamist terrorist group on Sunday in Egypt, two sources close to the conversation told the outlet. 

The following day, Kushner attended a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to talk about ‘corresponding steps’ Israel must take as part of a multi-point Gaza peace plan brought forward by the US, a source said. 

Khalil al-Hayy, a Hamas political leader, Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, Qatari diplomat Ali al-Thawadi and an unnamed senior Turkish official attended the sit-down in Egypt. 

These steps have been made in a bid to maintain the ceasefire in Gaza by transferring authority to the Palestinian technocratic government and making sure that Hamas has no future role in Gaza’s governance, the report detailed.

Hamas has been in power in the Gaza Strip for 19 years, but now the Board of Peace wants the organization to retire its weapons and military infrastructure so the International Stabilization Force can deploy the territory’s reconstruction and recovery ‘without theft or intimidation of Palestinians involved in the efforts,’ the outlet said, per a source.

The board also wants Israel to take part in ‘corresponding withdrawals’ in Gaza if Hamas agrees to disarm.

The war between the US and Iran has been going on for 175 days after America and Israel pounded the Middle Eastern country with airstrikes and missiles on February 28. 

The US and Iran previously agreed to a temporary ceasefire in June, but the 60-day agreement has since expired as the deal remains in the balance. 

In the meantime, both countries have been threatening to take control over the Strait of Hormuz – a vital waterway that the world depends on for petroleum and natural gas transport. 

The war has sparked rising gas prices across the US, and on Saturday, Tehran’s security officer, Mohsen Rezaei, vowed to ‘neutralize the economic war’ with the US and threatened to halt oil flow out of the waterway, Iran’s state-affiliated Press TV reported. 

‘America is backed into a corner. Either they honor their commitments or they will have to struggle to get out of that corner, which will make the situation worse, Rezaei said. 

As of now, Iran is allowing a number of Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, but if the threat takes action, all traffic will shut down. 

‘If they start such an action, we will not allow a single drop of oil to pass through the Persian Gulf. Oil will leave neither through the Strait of Hormuz nor through the Persian Gulf,’ he said.

CHICAGO — Amidst the absence of headliners like Joe Burrow and Joe Flacco, the Cincinnati Bengals handed the spotlight to veteran quarterback Josh Johnson. At 40 years old, Johnson led the Bengals to a commanding 27-9 triumph over the Chicago Bears on Saturday night, proving age is just a number.

From the get-go, Johnson orchestrated an impressive 14-play, 67-yard march against the Bears’ starters, setting the tone early. His evening peaked with a couple of touchdown throws in the second quarter, bolstering Cincinnati’s lead to 11 points before he called it a night.

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Demonstrating precision and poise, Johnson completed 15 of 23 passes, amassing 156 yards. He connected with rookie wideout Colbie Young for a 17-yard score and later with seasoned tight end Tanner Hudson for a 6-yard touchdown, the latter delivered mere seconds before halftime.

The Chicago Bears saw their own season starters, including quarterback Caleb Williams, take brief stints on the field for their preseason debuts. They appeared for just the opening series of the match, providing a teaser of what’s to come.

Williams managed a couple of completions from five attempts, totaling 28 yards. However, a holding penalty thwarted their drive after reaching near the Bengals’ end zone, transforming a promising situation into a challenging first-and-20 at Cincinnati’s 27-yard line.

After the back-to-back-to-back incompletions – the second of which was off target to a wide-open Colston Loveland inside the 10 – Cairo Santos kicked a 45-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

Santos added field goals of 26 and 44 yards, but missed from 53. Cincinnati’s Evan McPherson hit from 58 and 25 yards.

Case Keenum replaced Williams and played until halftime, going 9 of 17 for 119 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

Cincinnati first-year receiver Dohnte Meyers, a Canadian Football League import, continued to make an impressive case for a spot on the 53-man roster with five catches for 41 yards, a 9-yard rush, kick returns of 29 and 25 yards and punt returns of 25 and 9 yards.

Sean Clifford replaced Johnson in the second half and immediately led a scoring drive, hitting rookie wide receiver Noah Thomas for a 20-yard touchdown that upped the Bengals’ lead to 24-9.

It’s the first time since coach Zac Taylor was hired in 2019 that the Bengals have won more than one preseason game.

Injuries

Bears: LB Nephi Sewell was carted off late in the first half. Nearly all of the Bears players circled the cart to wish him well before he was taken into the locker room.

Bengals: LB Joe Giles-Harris was evaluated for a concussion.

Up next

Bears: Play their final preseason game at Tennessee next Saturday.

Bengals: Finish the preseason on Friday night at Philadelphia.

What began as a simple anniversary escape for one couple in Gatlinburg turned into a memorable wildlife encounter when a curious bear transformed their tea shop visit into an unexpected adventure. Captured on video, the bear made its way into the store, sifting through items before leaping onto the counter, startling everyone present.

Victoria Puyol and Joshua Card were in Gatlinburg celebrating seven years together. While exploring, they made a stop at The Spice & Tea Exchange on a seemingly typical Friday. However, their visit quickly took a surprising twist when Card noticed the unanticipated bear near the shop’s entrance.

“There’s a bear,” Card recalled expressing as he processed the unusual sight.

Initially, Puyol was confounded by what she heard. It wasn’t until both Card and the store clerk reiterated their incredulity that she turned to see the bear firmly planted in the doorway.

The couple recalled guidance to back away from bears, but as they stepped away, the bear ventured farther into the store. The clerk directed them behind the register, where they had access to an emergency exit.

The curious intruder appeared particularly interested in the shop’s inventory, tearing into a sweet-tea blend and investigating tea diffusers as a crowd gathered outside. An employee from a neighboring store sounded an air horn, the couple said, but it appeared to have little effect on the bear.

Card began recording as the bear approached the counter.

“Hey, what you doing there, buddy?” Card can be heard saying in the video.

The bear then turned and jumped onto the counter, prompting Card to step backward.

“He’s talking to this thing like it’s a puppy,” Puyol recalled. “It’s a bear. It’s not a puppy. It’s a bear.”

Card said he initially thought the animal might have been a “show bear” on a leash with a handler nearby because they were in such a populated area. He quickly realized it was a wild bear.

Card, a military veteran who also has experience as a lifeguard, said his background dealing with emergency situations helped shape his reaction. He described feeling uncertain about what the young animal was capable of and whether he should intervene or simply give it space.

“This didn’t really feel like an emergency,” Card said. “It felt unpredictable to me.”

Card said the bear appeared more curious than aggressive.

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“He didn’t really seem threatened,” he said. “Even when he jumped up on the counter, I was like, okay, well, I’m going to take a step back.”

Puyol said she was more shocked than frightened.

“I wasn’t scared,” she said. “I was just shocked.”

“I wasn’t like, ‘Oh my God, it’s a bear, I’m going to die,'” she continued. “No, it was like, there’s a wild animal, like eight feet away from me.”

Adding to the irony, Puyol said she had repeatedly told Card before the trip that she hoped to see a bear during their anniversary getaway.

“Be careful what you wish for because I wanted to see a bear, not that up close and personal,” she said.

The clerk eventually told the couple about another exit through the second floor, but the bear suddenly ran out before they needed to use it. Card and the clerk then shut the door and waited to make sure it was safe before leaving.

Puyol estimated the entire encounter lasted roughly 10 to 15 minutes.

The couple said store employees told them the bear appeared to be a repeat visitor and had entered the business earlier in the week.

The shop also posted a photo of a bear earlier in the week with the caption, “This young bear came into our shop today, snagged some sugar and came back for more!”

Now that they made it out safely, the couple said the encounter made for an anniversary they will never forget.

“The trip has been filled with oddities, and so this just kind of … fuels that whole experience,” Card said.

News Media has reached out to The Spice & Tea Exchange of Gatlinburg for additional information.

In a shocking turn of events, Brooklyn police are on the trail of a dangerous gunman who unleashed chaos on a city street Wednesday afternoon. In the incident, a woman with developmental delays narrowly escaped harm, while her family’s cherished dog wasn’t as lucky, sustaining a gunshot wound.

Law enforcement officials report that the assailant fearlessly brandished a firearm in the clear light of day, aiming at an unnamed man but missing. Instead, the stray bullet struck the woman’s dog, which fortunately later underwent surgery to remove the bullet.

The traumatizing scene involved 64-year-old Teresa Pezzolla, who was taking her regular stroll with her dog when the unexpected violence erupted. Her nephew recounted to The Post, “Aunt Teresa was casually walking the dog towards 5th Avenue.”

He added, “This is part of her usual routine, just taking the dog around the block, when suddenly this young man appeared, shooting at someone else. Unfortunately, it was the dog that got hit instead.”

The NYPD states that the alarming act of gunfire occurred around 5:46 p.m., right in front of 218 31st Street in the area of Greenwood Heights.

“So I’m thankful that the bullet didn’t hit my aunt because I think it would have been a lot worse,” continue Pezzolla’s nephew.

While the sicko’s intended target escaped unharmed, the shooter’s errant bullet slammed into a seven-year-old Honey, a labradoodle.

Pezzolla, who is developmentally delayed, walked back to the home with the animal, and her sister quickly called an cab and got the pup to an emergency vet.

“My mother called in a cab right away, got the dog to an emergency room — and the doctors there were able to pull a 22 caliber right out of the dog,” Pezzolla’s nephew explained.

When he got home, he immediately asked Pezzolla where the harrowing attack occurred.

“I walked my aunt outside, and I told her, ‘show me exactly where this happened,’ and I had the two police officers follow me from behind and, you know, she was able to point out exactly where this happened,” he said.

Nearby police officers happened upon the scene and asked what’s going on.

“I started looking around 5th Avenue and that’s when two cops rolled up on me and asked me what was going on and I told them. And that’s when the cops jumped into action.”

Authorities were able to obtain surveillance footage from nearby cameras.

“I’ve been living in the neighborhood since I was a child,” the nephew explained.

“This is the first time anything like this has ever happened, a shooting in the area.”

“My aunt is very shaken up.”

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at  on X @NYPDTips.