‘You gave me a heart attack’: Lizard leaps out of man's pocket during police search in California

CHICO, Calif. - Body cam footage captured a lizard leaping out of a man’s pocket during a police search in California, making the officer jump back at the sight before laughing it off.

Video shared Nov. 10 by the Chico Police Department shows the officer searching a man in front of a cruiser when suddenly the rogue reptile jumps out of his inside pocket.

The officer can be heard screaming at the lizard, before asking: “Do you have any other creepy critters in your pockets?”

“I am so, so sorry,” the man tells officers.

A video shared by the Chico Police Department in California shows an officer conducting a search when suddenly a lizard leaps out of the man’s coat — startling the officer. (Photo credit: Chico Police Department via Storyful)

“You gave me a heart attack,” the officer jokingly replies in the video. “That is not okay.”

The Chico Police Department, which is located about 90 miles north of Sacramento, shared the video on its Facebook page with the caption: “Lizard attack! Just another day on patrol.”

“And this is why we need a live Chico PD show,” one commenter wrote.

“This officer handled this well, with humor,” another user wrote. “Love our CPD officers!”

This story was reported from Cincinnati.