'Big deal,' suspect said, 'it's just a duck' Denver man charged with animal cruelty; he's freed after posting $10,000 bail BY EMILY GURNON Pioneer Press Article Last Updated: 09/24/2007 11:46:12 PM CDT
After allegedly ripping off the head a duck in the indoor pond of the Embassy Suites hotel, Scott D. Clark asked police if he was in trouble.
Yes, they said.
"Why?" he asked, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday. "Because I killed it out of season? Big deal, it's just a ... duck."
As bystanders watched, Clark said, "I'm hungry. I'm going to eat it," according to police.
Clark, 26, of Denver, was charged Monday in Ramsey County District Court with one felony count of animal cruelty.
When confronted by police, Clark said he worked for the federal government and he would "have the officers' jobs" when it was all over, the complaint said.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that Clark was an auditor with the Inspector General's office in Denver. Such a position would involve checking to make sure Medicare and Medicaid funds were spent appropriately, a spokesman said. He told hotel staff he was staying at the downtown Embassy Suites on business.
According to the criminal complaint, the events of the wee hours of Saturday morning unfolded this way:
A security guard saw an apparently drunken Clark walk into the atrium area of the hotel, where ducks occupied a duck pond. Clark cornered one of the ducks against a brick wall, grabbed it and killed it by tearing its head off. He then walked out, carrying the duck's body up to the fifth floor of the hotel.
Security stopped him there.
Police found the duck's body lying just outside of the elevator; the head was still in the duck pond. The lobby was strewn with feathers and blood, and Clark had blood on his shirt, the complaint said.
Hotel officials told police the duck was one of eight that was specially trained for the hotel. Assistant general manager Christopher Fernlund estimated the Embassy Suites paid about $400 per bird, the complaint said.
Clark posted $10,000 bail Monday. He declined a request for an interview while in custody and after his release.
***
Man accused of beheading duck put on leave from job The Associated Press Article Last Updated: 09/26/2007 09:25:20 AM CDT
ST. PAUL—The man charged with tearing the head off a tame duck at a St. Paul hotel has been put on administrative leave from his job at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a government spokesman said.
Scott Clark, 26, of Denver, was in the Twin Cities on government business and was staying at the Embassy Suites in St. Paul, where he was arrested early Saturday morning. He has been charged with felony animal cruelty.
Clark is an auditor with the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Department spokesman Don White said Clark began working for the office about a year ago.
Clark allegedly chased the duck that was swimming in an artificial pond in the hotel lobby, cornered it and tore off its head. He then allegedly told onlookers that he was hungry and was going to eat the duck.
The criminal complaint filed in the case said Clark told officers after his arrest that he worked for the government and "would have the officers' jobs."
Authorities have said they believe Clark had been drinking.
― gff, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:29 (eighteen years ago)
Haha, you think?
― jaymc, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:31 (eighteen years ago)
Esquire has a good-looking duck recipe this month.
I've never had it - is the meat gamey?
― milo z, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:32 (eighteen years ago)
you can't tear a duck's head off, this is some bullshit
― Mr. Que, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:33 (eighteen years ago)
http://www.newsday.com/media/photo/2003-10/9883142.jpg
― gabbneb, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:35 (eighteen years ago)
yes it's gamey.
You can easily tear a duck's head off. You twist it.
Not that I'd know.
― Dandy Don Weiner, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:35 (eighteen years ago)
'Big deal,' suspect said, 'it's just a duck'
― jhøshea, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:35 (eighteen years ago)
DUCK IS AMZING AND FATTY
― jhøshea, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:36 (eighteen years ago)
http://www.bienmanger.com/images/genre/1447_Duck_Fat.jpg
― Mr. Que, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:36 (eighteen years ago)
this is making me hungry
― bell_labs, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:38 (eighteen years ago)
thai duck curries are yummy
― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:38 (eighteen years ago)
not really gamey. just fattier, richer, and more flavorful than boring old chicken.
― lauren, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:40 (eighteen years ago)
"Big deal. It's just a f----ing duck." according to earlier versions of the story (PiPress is a family paper, yall)
― gff, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:40 (eighteen years ago)
one time i cooked a duck and saved the fat and gave it to a french friend and she was so psyched for it i was kinda whoa its just some delicious fat jeez
― jhøshea, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:40 (eighteen years ago)
mad creepy: i googled his name and found a post on an animal liberation web board with dude's home address, the emails of everyone he works with, and his parents home address and phone number.
― gff, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:41 (eighteen years ago)
potatoes roasted in duck fat, whoa.
― lauren, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:42 (eighteen years ago)
this guy shoudld receive the death penalty. xpost.
― gabbneb, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:42 (eighteen years ago)
http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/images/recipes/mealhelpers/duck/meal_helpers_duck.jpg
― I DIED, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:42 (eighteen years ago)
to me "big deal its just a duck" is much more convincing than the unredacted version.
― jhøshea, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:43 (eighteen years ago)
http://twospoonsplease.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/IMG_2487.JPG fries fried in duckfat mmmm
― bell_labs, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:43 (eighteen years ago)
yeah "big deal it's a fucking duck" is way too kiefer sutherland
― Mr. Que, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:44 (eighteen years ago)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bb/The_Wire_Ziggy.jpg/250px-The_Wire_Ziggy.jpg
― Oilyrags, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:44 (eighteen years ago)
Duck fat french fries are pretty good, but I don't think there's anything special about them. I mean, fries cooked in ANY kind of animal fat are delicious.
― I DIED, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:44 (eighteen years ago)
that must have been the dumbest duck around if a drunk person could corner it while in the water. that's some carnival pig wrestling shit. In fact I think the duck was probably drunk, and the dude is probably dead sober, just fucked-up/disassociative
― El Tomboto, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:44 (eighteen years ago)
Big deal, it's just a ... duck.
I thought the ellipsis was indicating a pause, like he was momentarily trying to remember what it was that he had just killed.
― jaymc, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:45 (eighteen years ago)
i would eat those fries no questions asked
― jhøshea, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:45 (eighteen years ago)
QUACK
― Mr. Que, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:45 (eighteen years ago)
does a place sell duck sausage
― El Tomboto, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:46 (eighteen years ago)
The drunkenness seems like a total side note, though -- there is some level of creepy fucked-upness to someone who randomly tears up hotel ducks that is totally independent of drunkenness
(haha: "it's just a duck" sounds like he's saying killing animals isn't a big deal; "it's just a fucking duck" sounds like he's got a bone to pick with ducks in particular)
Duck, duck, juicy tender duck: I get SO happy to have a place on my block that can provide me with an emergency confit if needed
― nabisco, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:46 (eighteen years ago)
JOHN/FB: YOU HAVE BEEN TRUMPED
― HI DERE, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:46 (eighteen years ago)
but if you eat enough duckfat fries, you hallucinate
― bell_labs, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:46 (eighteen years ago)
I am boggling at the concept of "emergency confit". What a society we live in!
― HI DERE, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:47 (eighteen years ago)
TOMBOT, I do not know of a place that sells duck sausage :(
― I DIED, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:47 (eighteen years ago)
http://www.moma.org/images/collection/FullSizes/McCarey_DuckSoup_2.jpg
― Oilyrags, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:48 (eighteen years ago)
recently duck confit has become one of those things i am unable to not order
― jhøshea, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:48 (eighteen years ago)
I HAVE A CONDITION I CARRY AN EMERGENCY DUCKFAT INHALER
― nabisco, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:49 (eighteen years ago)
why would a hotel that's not the drake have ducks inside the hotel?
― Mr. Que, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:49 (eighteen years ago)
we are whittling down the bullshit here
― El Tomboto, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:49 (eighteen years ago)
can't fake the drake
― El Tomboto, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:50 (eighteen years ago)
well tom next time yr in nyc http://www.nyc.com/shop/O_Ottomanelli__Sons_Prime_Meat_Market.99084/editorial.aspx
― jhøshea, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:50 (eighteen years ago)
what if a duck killed a man, then would you all be so outraged
― moonship journey to baja, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:50 (eighteen years ago)
excuse me--the Peabody, not the Drake
― Mr. Que, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:51 (eighteen years ago)
pork confit > duck confit > chicken confit
― I DIED, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:52 (eighteen years ago)
WAIT NO
duck confit w/ carmelized sugar and passion fruit oil @ Cafe Atlantico > everything
Duck Bacon
― milo z, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:52 (eighteen years ago)
crispy duck salad peking duck duck confit smoked tea duck duck jerky foie gras chili duck
― bell_labs, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:53 (eighteen years ago)
lolololololol
― HI DERE, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:54 (eighteen years ago)
these ducks are marching straight to the deep fryer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFGGvSTbztk
― Mr. Que, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:54 (eighteen years ago)
amazon has a large range of the duck produckts
― El Tomboto, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:54 (eighteen years ago)
Can you imagine working at the hotel and watching this shit go down? Or, even better, being a guest?
― HI DERE, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 18:55 (eighteen years ago)
http://img26.picoodle.com/img/img26/9/9/26/f_duckm_7ab787d.jpg
― I DIED, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 19:08 (eighteen years ago)
babel sucked worse than any movie ever stfu
― jhøshea, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 19:08 (eighteen years ago)
Making privileged children cry by making them catch animals and then killing them in front of them is always classic.
― HI DERE, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 19:09 (eighteen years ago)
gais we should fap at st paul embassy suits hear they make killer drinx y/n
― gff, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 19:11 (eighteen years ago)
well maybe if yr doing it to fuck w/them but if its just to belabor some fucking ponderously obv point then stfu
― jhøshea, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 19:11 (eighteen years ago)
the classic-ness of killing children infront of animals is debatable.\
2xpost
― The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 19:12 (eighteen years ago)
^^^^^ true, depends on how priviliged the animal is
― HI DERE, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 19:13 (eighteen years ago)
good job brian!
― Mr. Que, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 19:13 (eighteen years ago)
I'm trying to figure out if Dan meant John/FB merely bothered a duck once.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 19:14 (eighteen years ago)
I will let them tell the story!
― HI DERE, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 19:20 (eighteen years ago)
Hmm, yes, there is a difference between little Scout Finch getting an epiphany after seeing her father shoot a deranged dog and watching your own dad drown a ferret that snuck in the house.
― Abbott, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 22:17 (eighteen years ago)
I kicked a duck on my 18th birthday. Not entirely on purpose, I was telling my friend, "They always run away when you get near enough. See?" Then I kicked it, expecting it would demonstrate my claim, but it didn't move and instead flew in a perfect Odie-style arc into the river.
― Abbott, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 22:19 (eighteen years ago)
"They never actually kick you when they get near enough. See?"
― jhøshea, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 22:23 (eighteen years ago)
Magret is way better than duck bacon, btw.
― Michael White, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 22:26 (eighteen years ago)
Duck...bacon? I am assuming pigs are a big fan of it but ducks are not.
― Abbott, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 22:35 (eighteen years ago)
I think if you kill any wildlife inside an Embassy Suites you're docked 10,000 HHonors points and are disinvited to the Manager's Reception that evening (arcane joke for business travelers who spend way too many nights in Hilton properties)
― Jeff Wright, Thursday, 27 September 2007 02:35 (eighteen years ago)
"the duck was one of eight that was specially trained for the hotel."
What did they do, carry your luggage? Elevator? ("second floor: quack, quack")
― StanM, Thursday, 27 September 2007 06:35 (eighteen years ago)
Why not?
http://www.keyframeonline.com/imgserver.php?l=imgdir&f=905_a.jpg
― Tuomas, Thursday, 27 September 2007 09:19 (eighteen years ago)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/lixnixn/bellboy.jpg
― Tuomas, Thursday, 27 September 2007 09:21 (eighteen years ago)
American Amazon sells meat! Another victory over teh Brits.
I'm looking at the game & exotic meats and drooling at my desk.
― onimo, Thursday, 27 September 2007 09:31 (eighteen years ago)
This bit: "Because I killed it out of season?"
Like it matters what time of year you corner a duck in a hotel and rip its head off!
― onimo, Thursday, 27 September 2007 09:32 (eighteen years ago)
at my last hotel we had penguins. security had to wrestle them away from drunk guests a few times, but to my knowledge, no beheadings.
― gr8080, Thursday, 27 September 2007 09:48 (eighteen years ago)
they hang w/ the turtles:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c90/gradygillan/penguins.jpg
― gr8080, Thursday, 27 September 2007 09:50 (eighteen years ago)
mad creepy: i googled his name and found a post on an animal liberation web board with dude's home address
Yes! By all means, defend anyone who KEEPS DUCKS INDOORS like that hotel does.
― StanM, Thursday, 27 September 2007 09:50 (eighteen years ago)
lolololol to Jeff W
― HI DERE, Thursday, 27 September 2007 11:32 (eighteen years ago)
I didn't realize so many hotels have a staffer responsible for cleaning up birdshit in the lobby.
― Oilyrags, Thursday, 27 September 2007 16:49 (eighteen years ago)
At least, I HOPE they have such a staffer.
90 answers and not one pun on "fowl". Must be a record for ilx.
― Aimless, Thursday, 27 September 2007 16:54 (eighteen years ago)
i ate duck last night cos of this thread
― bell_labs, Thursday, 27 September 2007 16:55 (eighteen years ago)
As long as you left its head on, you're legally safe, I think.
― StanM, Thursday, 27 September 2007 16:58 (eighteen years ago)
I DIED that is the best book cover of all time.
― Abbott, Thursday, 27 September 2007 17:26 (eighteen years ago)
i really do kind of understand where that guy was coming from. i always feel a little weird when i look at a live animal and think "hello there, you look DELICIOUS" but it happens. especially with the packs of wild turkeys that roam around my parents' backyard. it also happened once at an elk preserve.
― bell_labs, Thursday, 27 September 2007 17:31 (eighteen years ago)
fairly certain hot doug's has served duck sausage. i mean, i don't KNOW this, but c'mon.
― river wolf, Thursday, 27 September 2007 17:34 (eighteen years ago)
hot duck's
― river wolf, Thursday, 27 September 2007 17:35 (eighteen years ago)
oh shit i know where i'm going for lunch now
so yeah they threw the book at him
http://www.startribune.com/local/13816006.html
Colich said earlier that he had hoped to negotiate a plea to a lesser charge for Clark. A felony conviction would bar Clark from government work. He lost his job as a federal auditor in Denver after the incident and "hopes to have a career someday," Colich said in October.On Tuesday, Colich said, prosecutors were not interested in negotiating anything other than a felony."He had no choice," Colich said.
On Tuesday, Colich said, prosecutors were not interested in negotiating anything other than a felony.
"He had no choice," Colich said.
― gff, Wednesday, 16 January 2008 00:38 (seventeen years ago)
well, who can blame them. you can't condone that shit.
― El Tomboto, Wednesday, 16 January 2008 00:52 (seventeen years ago)
http://www.herchem.com/products/images/duck-butter.jpg
― dan m, Wednesday, 16 January 2008 01:10 (seventeen years ago)
-- Abbott, Wednesday, September 26, 2007 10:19 PM (3 months ago) Bookmark Link
-- jhøshea, Wednesday, September 26, 2007 10:23 PM (3 months ago) Bookmark Link
i lolled
― Jordan, Wednesday, 16 January 2008 01:59 (seventeen years ago)
No mention of the kind of duck it was.
― Sparkle Motion, Wednesday, 16 January 2008 02:31 (seventeen years ago)
yes that will affect sentencing
― gff, Wednesday, 16 January 2008 02:55 (seventeen years ago)
hate crime
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 16 January 2008 02:59 (seventeen years ago)
I was just curious as to what sort of ducks a hotel pond might keep.
xxpost
― Sparkle Motion, Wednesday, 16 January 2008 03:01 (seventeen years ago)
http://www.birdchick.com/uploaded_images/woodducks-708888.JPG
― El Tomboto, Wednesday, 16 January 2008 03:01 (seventeen years ago)
http://www.birdchick.com/uploaded_images/cinnamonteal-707330.JPG
― El Tomboto, Wednesday, 16 January 2008 03:02 (seventeen years ago)
It looked like the hotel had cinnamon teal, wood ducks, and green-winged teal. But looking at the photos today, some of them had an odd shape or their markings are a little off. They must be hybrids from a game farm.
Top 2 are wood ducks--imo the world's 3rd most beautiful duck. Bottom one does look like a cinnamon teal. Thanks for finding that.
― Sparkle Motion, Wednesday, 16 January 2008 03:15 (seventeen years ago)
Does the cinnamon teal taste like cinnamon? OM NOM NOM NOM
― HI DERE, Wednesday, 16 January 2008 06:23 (seventeen years ago)
i watched my friend "horse" kill a goose with his bare hands once while trippin. it was terrible.
― chaki, Wednesday, 16 January 2008 06:41 (seventeen years ago)
http://www.startribune.com/local/13816006.html Ad Links Oregon Ducks Fight Song Get the official Oregon Ducks ringtone on your cell phone now. www.Oregon.Fight-Song-Ringtones.com
Haha Well, it seems to me the punishment is reasonable. All roffles aside, this person has some serious problems.
― Savannah Smiles, Wednesday, 16 January 2008 10:14 (seventeen years ago)