Man ate shotgun shell before entering Alabama jail — prompting embarrassing questions

An unorthodox public service announcement was posted on social media this week by a jail in northern Alabama, and it was prompted by an equally strange jail incident.

Apparently, a suspect swallowed a potentially explosive object before getting booked into the Morgan County Jail in Decatur, officials said.

“Today’s PSA ... before getting arrested, we recommend potential inmates avoid swallowing a shotgun shell prior to their visit,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook.

“Yes ... we have just as many questions as you do.”

The .410 shotgun shell was discovered inside a suspect during jail intake, officials explained. Such shells “are one of the smallest gauges of shotgun ammo but pack enough punch to take down pests and small game,” according to Opticsplanet.com.

The name of the suspect and charges were not released.

“Inmates go through our Body Scanner prior to checking in ... which catches interesting items ... like a shotgun shell,” the sheriff’s office wrote.

“It is a body scanner like those used in an airport,” they added in a comment.

Medical staff at the jail took the man to a hospital after the discovery was made, a Morgan County Sheriff’s Office spokesman told station WHNT. The suspect received medical treatment and was later released, the department said in an update.

Details of how the shell was removed were not shared.

The PSA was posted Wednesday on Facebook where it has gotten nearly 1,500 reactions and comments, including questions about whether flatulence might be a dangerous weapon when combined with gun power. Others wondered if compounds in some laxatives might ignite a shotgun shell. Several made “concealed weapon” jokes.

“Ammo is pretty freaking expensive now days. I’d wanna keep it too,” one commenter wrote.

“Hopefully he doesn’t get explosive diarrhea,” a woman said.

“You’ll shoot your eye out kid,” another posted.

The sheriff’s office says the body scanner was installed in the jail in early 2020 and has led to other unexpected discoveries, including “non-metal items.”

This story was originally published October 22, 2021 at 7:44 AM with the headline "Man ate shotgun shell before entering Alabama jail — prompting embarrassing questions."