MD Officer Rescues Bald Eagle on Christmas Eve

A Maryland lieutenant working on Christmas Eve had the skills to safely handle and transport a bald eagle that had been injured.

Jeff Woods, a lieutenant at the Charles County (MD) Sheriff's Office and a bird handler, was called to help a full-grown female bald eagle that was found lying on the side of a road in La Plata.

According to the sheriff's office's Facebook page , Lt. Woods "quickly responded with his gear and gently scooped the eagle up, placed her in an eagle transport box, and took her to Owl Moon Raptor Rescue where they graciously opened their doors and cared for the eagle."

Suzanne Shoemaker, the director of the Owl Moon Raptor Center, a wildlife rehab that specializes in birds of prey, told Fox News in an interview on Tuesday that the bird may have fractured her coracoid, the bone that connects a bird’s shoulder to its breastplate and is critical for flight. She suspects that the bird flew into a power line.

The injured bird will be moved to Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, a wildlife rescue center in Delaware. Shoemaker said that this facility will be able to further care for the eagle.