Florida Man 'Feels Like Batman' After Catching 8-Foot Alligator Barefoot in Jacksonville

On Sunday, April 21, 2024, a Florida man was seen grabbing an 8-foot alligator barefoot with his bare hands in Jacksonville, Florida. The man is Mike Dragich, a licensed trapper in the state of Florida and is an MMA fighter. Dragich has been called "The Blue Collar Brawler."

Mike Dragich Received a Call from Florida Fish and Wildlife

Mike Dragich was at a minor league ice hockey game with his kids on Sunday, 21 April 2024 when he got the call from Florida Fish and Wildlife about an 8-foot alligator on the loose on a street in Jacksonville. He is affiliated with the nuisance alligator program.

He left the ice hockey game to go capture the alligator and did it without any shoes on and with his bare hands. He picked it up and paraded down the street with his trophy and onlookers cheered for the hero that saved the day.

Dragich said:

"It was only five minutes from the game, so I literally left the game, caught the alligator, and then went back to the game." -Mike Dragich, "The Blue Collar Brawler"

You can see the footage in the YouTube video below.

Mike Was attending an Ice Hockey Game with his Kids

Mike told Inside Edition the following:

"I was at the hockey game with my kids so I wasn't prepared at that time to get the gator, so I just used what I had, which was my bare hands and my bare feet." -Mike Dragich, "The Blue Collar Brawler"

He said it all while smiling. Mike is an awesome guy, willing to help when he can to catch alligators.

Mike Dragich

Mike Dragich told FOX35 News:

"I felt like Batman!" -Mike Dragich, "The Blue Collar Brawler"

Eligible Walmart Customers Can Claim Up to $500 in a $45 Million Class Action Lawsuit: The Deadline is June 5

Walmart customers who purchased citrus fruit or weighed items from Walmart, Walmart Neighborhood, or Walmart Supercenter in the U.S. or Puerto Rico between October 19, 2018, and January 19. 2024 may be eligible to receive up to $500 cash in a $45 million settlement.

Walmart

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What is the Walmart Class Action Lawsuit About?

Plaintiff Vassilios Kukorinis brought an amended class action complaint against Walmart, Inc. in the U.S. District Court, Tampa Division on behalf of all others similarly situated.

It is Case № 8:22-cv-02402-VMC-TGW, filed: on 20 July 2023.

The class action lawsuit states that Walmart uses “unfair and deceptive business practices to pilfer its customers' hard-earned grocery dollars by charging customers more than the product’s lowest advertised per pound/ounce price.”

Kukorinis lawsuit alleges that Walmart is not charging customers the lowest advertised price found on a Rollback sticker or price sticker and that Walmart’s Point of Sale (POS) system “deceptively, systematically and artificially increases the weight of the product at checkout resulting in the customer paying an “inflated price” that is not the same as the price advertised.

The lawsuit does not just apply to customers who purchased citrus, but also other weighed goods, including meat, poultry, and seafood products.

Photo by Marques Thomas on Unsplash

Who is Eligible to Join the Walmart Class Action Lawsuit?

CNBC reported the following eligibility requirements and the tiers of how much money you could be eligible for:

“You may be eligible if you purchased weighted goods and/or bagged citrus in person from Walmart, Walmart Supercenter, or Walmart Neighborhood Market in the U.S. or Puerto Rico between Oct. 19, 2018, and Jan. 19, 2024, according to the settlement’s website.

The amount you receive will depend on how much you spend on those items at a Walmart store during that time period. Here are the potential payouts, per the settlement website.

• $10: If you’re approved and don’t have receipts, proof of purchase, or other documentation but attest to Purchasing up to 50 Weighted Goods and/or Bagged Citrus
• $15: If you’re approved and don’t have receipts, proof of purchase, or other documentation but attest to Purchasing 51 up to 75 Weighted Goods and/or Bagged Citrus in person
• $20: If you’re approved and don’t have receipts, proof of purchase, or other documentation but attest to Purchasing 76 up to 100 Weighted Goods and/or Bagged Citrus in person
• $25: If you’re approved and don’t have receipts, proof of purchase, or other documentation but attest to Purchasing 101 or more Weighted Goods and/or Bagged Citrus
• Up to $500: If you’re approved and have receipts, proof of purchase, or other documentation that substantiates (a) each Weighted Good and/or Bagged Citrus Purchased in person in a Walmart Store during the Settlement Class Period, and (b) the amount paid for each Weighted Good and/or Bagged Citrus Purchased, then that Approved Claimant will be entitled to receive 2% of the total cost of the substantiated Weighted Goods and Bagged Citrus Purchased, capped at five hundred dollars ($500)”

(Source: CNBC)

How Can a Person Join the Walmart Class Action Settlement?

If you are eligible to join this class action lawsuit, you can join at the following website.

The website is a “NOTICE OF PROPOSED CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT.”

Screenshot from Kukorinis v. Walmart Inc. settlement website

The following grid on the website shows your legal rights and options in this matter.

credit: Kukorinis v. Walmart Inc. settlement website

Have You Shopped for Weighed Items at Walmart?

Have you purchased citrus fruits or weighted items at Walmart between Oct. 19, 2018, and Jan. 19, 2024?

Does knowing this information change how much you will shop at Walmart in the future?

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Sources

Amended Class Action Lawsuit: Vassilios Kukorinis v. Walmart, Inc. Case №8:22-cv-02402-VMC-TGW. Document filed: 20 July 2023.

DeVon, Cheyenne. “You could claim up to $500 from Walmart as a part of a $45 million class action lawsuit — here’s how to check.” CNBC. 19 April 2024.

Kukorinis v. Walmart, Inc. Class Action Settlement website.