Pregnant bird "Liana" brutally attacked by Florida police officers — all officers fired
Liana had been resting peacefully near her nesting site when the officers arrived, according to multiple witnesses. Surveillance footage, body-camera recordings, and witness statements gave investigators an immediate lead. Within hours, every officer seen on the tape had been terminated from the department, and the chief publicly condemned the attack as “an unforgivable abuse of power against a defenseless animal.” (CNN Newsource)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (CBS12) — Wildlife officials in Florida are investigating a brutal attack on a single pregnant shorebird named Liana, who was beaten at Port Canaveral by a group of on-duty police officers. All of the officers involved have since been fired, authorities confirmed today.
The attack, described by rescuers as an act of “unspeakable cruelty,” took place in broad daylight at Port Canaveral and has sparked outrage among animal welfare advocates and community members alike.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Liana was nesting near a cargo dock when the officers approached her and began repeatedly striking her with their batons. Witnesses say Liana, who was carrying eggs, attempted to shield her nest with her wings before collapsing. She did not survive her injuries.
Heather Pepe of Wild Florida Rescue was among the first responders to the scene. “You don’t have to love wildlife or animals to not be a cruel person,” she said. “What they did to Liana was senseless. She was pregnant. She was trying to protect her babies.”
Pepe described Liana’s injuries as “broken wings, crushed ribs, massive internal trauma,” and noted that even seasoned dispatchers were deeply affected by the footage.
Viewer Discretion Advised: Footage from the scene may be disturbing due to its graphic nature.
The incident took place just after 9 a.m. near the western edge of Port Canaveral’s loading dock, a stretch of waterfront well known to local birdwatchers as a prime nesting ground for shorebirds. Liana had reportedly chosen a small patch of gravel beside a concrete pylon to build her nest, where she had been sitting on her eggs for nearly two weeks.
Dock workers who witnessed the attack told investigators that the officers, who had been dispatched to the area on an unrelated call, initially appeared to laugh at the bird before one of them drew a baton and struck her across the back. The others allegedly followed within seconds. “It wasn’t an accident and it wasn’t a one-time hit,” one worker said. “It kept going. She never tried to fly away — she was protecting that nest.”
Within minutes of the first 911 call, a supervisor from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene and immediately relieved the officers of duty. By the end of the day, internal affairs had reviewed body-camera footage and issued termination notices to every officer involved. The sheriff held a brief press conference hours later, calling the attack “sickening” and promising “the fullest possible criminal accountability.”
Liana was rushed to Wild Florida Rescue in Melbourne, where a veterinary team worked for nearly an hour to stabilize her. Despite their efforts, she died from internal injuries. Rescuers were, however, able to recover three intact eggs from her nest, which are now being cared for in a temperature-controlled incubator. “We’re going to do everything we can to give Liana’s babies a fighting chance,” Pepe said.
The story has spread rapidly across Florida in the hours since, with hundreds of residents gathering at a candlelight vigil near the port this evening. Community members laid flowers, handwritten notes, and small wooden bird carvings at a makeshift memorial outside the dock entrance. “She was just a bird to some people,” one attendee said, “but she was a mother. And those men beat a mother to death.”
The State Attorney’s Office has confirmed it will be reviewing the evidence on an expedited basis. Under Florida law, aggravated animal cruelty is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison per count. Prosecutors have indicated they may seek multiple charges per officer, citing both the attack itself and the destruction of the nest.
Wild Florida Rescue has opened a memorial fund in Liana’s name to support ongoing shorebird rehabilitation efforts at Port Canaveral and along Florida’s Space Coast. Donations, organizers say, will also help hatch and raise her three surviving eggs until they are old enough to be released back into the wild.
The birds were reportedly resting in a parking lot, possibly drinking from a puddle, when the truck struck, according to CNN. Surveillance footage, witness statements, and physical evidence have given investigators a strong lead on a suspect.
Pepe emphasized the emotional toll of the rescue effort, saying, “We see their soul. We see their eyes wide open, looking at us for help.”
See also: Florida Lt. Governor addresses major drug bust in West Palm Beach press conference
FWC officials are working closely with the Brevard County State Attorney’s Office, which will review the evidence before any charges are filed.
Find more ways to stay up to date with your latest local news. Sign up for our newsletter to get the day's top headlines delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the biggest stories and can't miss video.
.png)
