AMHERST – They may be slow, but they can cause a commotion.
A turtle being escorted by pedestrians through downtown Amherst caused passers-by to call police Monday afternoon.
Police responded at 3:09 p.m. to the sidewalk near Starbucks, 71 North Pleasant St., where several college-age people were hanging around the medium-size box turtle.
Officers determined that the turtle is owned by a Springfield resident who is temporarily living in Belchertown. He told police that “it would be fun to walk his tortoise” through the center, according to dispatching logs provided by Amherst Police.
The man was advised that people were concerned about his actions and that it might be better to walk the turtle in a municipal park, rather than the commercial district.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
