A man sits in jail. A rooster’s lifeless carcass lies battered and bruised. A family in ruins.
It all began innocently enough.
The sun was shining as James Nix Jr. of Jacksonville, Florida casually strolled to his mailbox. His heart was filled with nervous anticipation of what he might find…
Maybe a sweepstakes notice…
Possibly a letter from a Nigerian prince…
Or perhaps God would smile upon him and he’d find the most coveted of all mailbox blessings: a Macy’s catalog filled with glorious photos of lingerie-clad ladies showing off their filthy pillows.
Yes, James couldn’t wait to find out what Mr. McFeely of the United States Postal Service had delivered on this fine Florida day.
Suddenly, Nix found himself in the fight of his life. His vicious attacker? A pet rooster with a bad attitude.
Nix was convinced he was going to die.
I said, “Oh boy, here we go,” a shaken Nix later told authorities.
Fortunately, Nix’s training kicked in and he grabbed a stick to defend himself.
“But the chicken’s jumping up at me, and I accidentally knocked in the head, you know? Call it a lucky shot, whatever.”
A ‘lucky shot’ indeed, but not for the now-lifeless rooster.
No more would the majestic call of this glorious creature be heard from his neighbor’s yard… At the crack of dawn… And throughout the afternoon… And the evening… EVERY. DAMN. DAY. Yes, even Sundays.
Sadly, the rooster’s owner, Jason Defelice, failed to thank Nix for doing what needed to be done to bring peace and harmony to the neighborhood once again. Instead, he called the police.
Police dedicated the entirety of their precious resources to a full investigation. Nix was charged with animal cruelty on May 30 and jailed for 30 hours.
Doing hard time in jail changes a man. Nix will never be the same. Neither will the rooster.
Reflecting on his life-altering experience, Nix offered insight for others who might find themselves in similar circumstances someday: “Chickens die every day, people—at Church’s, Popeyes, Kentucky Fried Chicken.”
And what of Nix’s detractors? What of those twisted individuals who are “Team Rooster?” What is our courageous hero’s reply to those who say he should have shot the rooster in the leg instead of killing it?
“I didn’t know to give it a 21-gun salute! CPR, mouth-to-mouth, do you know? Or call the chicken ambulance?”
WIBC’s Nigel and special chicken homicide correspondent Brian Baker have more details and exclusive audio in the clip below.
