Mystery in Washington: What was a goat doing outside a police station?
A photo of the goat Lil Bob and her owner near a Metro police station in Washington sparked a wave of rumors on social media about an arrest following subway rides. Authorities clarified that the detention was not related to the goat, but reminded that regulations do not allow bringing goats onto public transport.
A photo of Kyree Gibbens and his goat near a Washington Metro police station caused a stir following speculation that he was summoned due to his viral videos, in which he regularly rides the subway with his goat.
A goat named Lil Bob, who has become a well-known figure on social media and on public transport in Washington, is at the center of attention after a photo of her with her owner and Metro police officers went viral.
According to the American website Axios, officers detained the goat's owner, Kyree Gibbens, outside the police station over the weekend. However, the subway company clarified that the detention was not related to the goat at all. According to them, the officers were looking for Gibbens as part of an investigation by another law enforcement agency. He was released shortly thereafter.
Gibbens himself, an Instagram content creator (@kynobap), also denied the rumors that spread online and wrote in a story: "I was not arrested." At the same time, it turned out that Gibbens was also at the center of another legal proceeding this year, when he was arrested in January on suspicion of shooting at an occupied apartment in the city of Hyattsville, Maryland. However, his lawyer stated that the charges were dropped last week.
According to Washingtonian, a local magazine covering the Washington area, Metro police emphasized that the incident did not stem from the goat's presence on public transport. However, authorities reminded that regulations do not allow bringing goats onto trains or buses.
According to Metro policy, animals are allowed only if they are service animals or if they are inside a closed carrier. Permitted service animals include dogs and even miniature ponies, but not goats.
Lil Bob has gathered a large following thanks to videos in which she rides the subway, walks the city streets, and poses for photos with celebrities. Gibbens recently revealed that he owns six other goats, bearing the names Alabama, Barney, Wilma, Shorty, Low, and Moesha.
The affair also raised questions about the legality of raising goats by Gibbens. It turns out that the law in the District of Columbia generally prohibits raising goats as pets. However, there are temporary exceptions for activities such as grazing, demonstrations, "goat yoga" classes, or petting zoos, subject to approval by the local health department.
