Bats cause mayhem, send people screaming from Arkansas court

DE QUEEN, Ark. (AP) - There was disorder in the court when 30 bats flew inside an Arkansas courtroom during a trial.

The Texarkana Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/15OQpDa ) that several people ducked, screamed and ran from the room Thursday as the bats swooped into the room at the Sevier County Courthouse in De Queen.

One bat tried to bite a deputy who caught it and held it by the wings while onlookers took photos. The bats calmed down after the lights were turned off and court was moved elsewhere.

Circuit Judge Tom Cooper said hundreds of bats live at the courthouse and that their excrement is everywhere. The county's chief administrative officer, Greg Ray, said hundreds roost in an elevator shaft.

A pest control expert has been asked to visit the courthouse Monday to propose solutions.

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Information from: Texarkana Gazette, http://www.texarkanagazette.com