NEED TO KNOW
A deer recently burst through the front door of a year-round Christmas shop in Tennessee on Dec. 5The animal led authorities on a wild deer chase through the shop before getting stuck in a chairOfficers detained the deer and let it off with a warning to “lay off the eggnog”
A rambunctious deer was let off with a warning after crashing into a Christmas store in Tennessee.
Gabriel’s Christmas, a year-round holiday shop in Jonesborough, Tenn., experienced a shock this Christmas season when a deer burst through the establishment’s front door, according to a Dec. 5 Facebook post from the Jonesborough Police Department. Authorities successfully detained the animal and warned the animal to “lay off the eggnog” this Christmas.
“Only in Jonesborough would one of Santa’s Reindeer come barreling through the front door of Gabriel’s Christmas – clearly three sips too deep into the Holiday Spirits and making terrible life choices,” the police department joked in the post’s caption.
The authorities added, “Once inside, he took a grand tour: sniffed the ornaments, inspected the garland, side-eyed a nutcracker, and galloped around like he was trying to remember where he parked the sleigh.”
Footage of the incident, shared by the police department, shows officers ducking behind displays of ornaments and holiday trinkets as the deer speeds around the store, attempting to evade authorities. Even when the deer is out of the camera’s sight, its hooves can be heard clambering around the merchandise.
The deer’s escapades came to an abrupt halt when it found itself stuck in a wooden chair behind the checkout counter, per the video. In the footage, the deer yells loudly as it resists detainment, and officers each grab a leg to carry it out of the store.
The “tipsy legend” was set free outside and dashed off, the police department wrote.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
A merchandiser at Gabriel’s Christmas, Lisa Melancon, told WJHL-TV that everyone thought they were joking when they said their “sweet Christmas store got invaded by a deer.” Melancon added slyly that the deer was probably behind on its Christmas shopping.
“That’s why she probably wanted to come and do some shopping and get some last-minute gifts, and she knew where to come,”