Police in Ohio had to make an unusual stop shortly before Christmas when they pulled over Santa Claus and his wife Mrs. Claus. Fortunately, Santa received just a warning.
“Ho Ho Hold On! Santa and Mrs. Claus were spotted flying a little too fast through Fulton County,” the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a post shared on Facebook. “No coal was issued – just a friendly reminder that even sleighs need to slow down. Christmas is still on schedule!”
In the bodycam footage that accompanied the Facebook post, the deputy shouted, “Santa!” as he walked up to the vehicle.
Santa proceeds to let the officer know that he has a concealed carry weapon because “you gotta protect yourself.” Mrs. Claus added, “The North Pole isn’t what it used to be.”
“Santa has a CCW? Times are rough!” the deputy responded with a laugh. Kris Kringle then reminded him that the speed limit is 55 miles per hour. There are “a lot of deer out there,” he added.
“This is the video of the night,” the deputy said as Santa exited the car. “There goes my presents!”
Santa did threaten to “call Rudolph” on the officer, but they were able to work things out. The deputy even got a candy cane from Mrs. Claus before parting ways.
Meanwhile, in Canada…
While everything worked out nicely for Santa Claus in Ohio, things didn’t go nearly as well smoothly at the Sherwood Park Mall near Edmonton. After an encounter with a three-year-old boy, a shopping center relieved St. Nick of his duties.
In an incident the mall called “completely unacceptable,” Santa was asked to leave after he slapped the boy’s hand for pulling on his beard.
“Ensuring that each child has a magical Christmas experience is of the utmost importance to us,” the mall wrote in a Facebook post. The mall added that “the Santa was replaced so families can continue to experience the magic of Christmas during the remaining days of the holiday season.”