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The Richmond Observer – OH DEER: The Deputy Richmond County discovered deer in downtown Rockingham

ROCKINGHAM – Captain Jeff Starling was sitting in his patrol car doing paperwork on Thursday when he noticed an unusual pedestrian: a white-tailed buck.

Starling, a civil assistant at the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, said he had just left the prison around 12:30 p.m. and got into his car in the parking lot between the prison and the district court.

He said he saw something out of the corner of his eye, looked up, and saw what looks like a three-point head.

“It drove into that fence at full speed and that’s when I picked up my cell phone,” said Starling. “I wanted to try filming it, but it happened so quickly.”

After hitting the fence, Starling said the deer jumped over a short wall: “It looked like it was going to land on the hood!”

The deer then crossed the parking lot and another deputy tried to follow him towards the intersection of US 1 and US 74 Business to make sure it didn’t cause a wreck – but he lost it, according to Starling.

“I’ve never seen wildlife downtown in 26 years,” said Starling.