MURRAY, KY — A night out took a wild turn in Murray, Kentucky, when a man known locally as “Cowboy Cody” caused chaos by unleashing a raccoon inside a packed bar — resulting in one person being bitten and a list of criminal charges.
According to the Murray Police Department, 40-year-old Jonathan Mason, a local farmer with a reputation for unusual behavior, was arrested Friday evening after releasing a raccoon in a crowded bar. Authorities were called to the scene around 9:18 p.m. following reports of a disturbance.
Upon locating Mason driving away from the scene, officers attempted a traffic stop. However, he allegedly refused to roll down his window or exit the vehicle, prompting police to forcibly remove him from the car.
Witnesses say Mason had trapped the raccoon earlier that day and had been carrying it with him. One of the bar’s bartenders, Mary Hafner, told reporters that Mason had already been drinking when he arrived — despite being previously banned from the establishment due to a past incident involving a mule.
“He showed up with the raccoon like it was a party trick,” Hafner explained. “I’ve seen a lot in this job, but never anything like that.”
After being asked to leave, Mason briefly complied but returned minutes later — this time with the raccoon in hand. He released the frightened animal into the bar, where it bit one employee who tried to grab it by the tail. That person later required a rabies shot. Hafner said she eventually managed to corner the raccoon with a towel and release it outside.
Mason was arrested and charged with assault, criminal trespass, resisting arrest, and failing to maintain required vehicle insurance. He was booked into the Calloway County Jail.
This wasn’t Mason’s first run-in with the law. Last December, he made headlines for riding a mule 15 miles into town, entering another bar while allegedly intoxicated, and cracking a bullwhip inside the premises. Reports from that incident claimed the mule appeared malnourished and that Mason had a history of mistreating his animals, especially when intoxicated.
Despite being ordered to stay away from the mule and the bar, authorities were called again the next day after Mason was reportedly spotted drunkenly riding a mule in the area, tipping his hat to onlookers as he passed.
While Mason was once seen as a local eccentric, these recent events have raised serious concerns about public safety and animal welfare.