HALL COUNTY — A Hall County deputy got the shock of a lifetime when an alligator charged him during a training exercise Wednesday morning.

The Hall County Sherriff’s Office said K9 teams were training around a pond off Allen Creek Road around 7:30 a.m.

The officer was laying track for the K9 team when he heard a hissing sound and saw a gator with its mouth open. Deputies said the gator was estimated to be between 7 and 9 feet long.

The gator charged at the deputy, who was able to run up an embankment and evade the gator. The deputy thankfully wasn’t hurt.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources was notified about the animal.

Deputies then used drone footage to capture a picture of the gator.

Hall County deputies are urging people to take precautions around the water in that area, including the stream that feeds the pond.

The county will also be installing warning signs cautioning the public about alligators.

Around 200,000 American alligators live in Georgia, but they are mostly seen below the area from Columbus through Macon.

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