SAGINAW - Ricca Coursey had just finished strapping one son in his car seat when the other spilled his cereal on the sidewalk.

[I] went in to get the Cheerios and I heard [my son, Colton,] scream, Coursey said. [I] came out and I saw the coyote a few feet from him and he was on the ground. It was a pretty scary experience.

It was scary for Colton, too. He remembers what happened as well as a three-year-old can.

Colton: He was running straight to me.

News 8: Who was running straight to you?

Colton: The coyote.

News 8: And why was he running straight to you?

Colton: Because he wanted to eat me.

The Coursey's neighborhood is built on the backside of an open field with a wooded area. Coyotes are often heard and seen in the area.

Saginaw animal control said they respond to coyote calls about two or three times per week. They suspect animals are venturing into neighborhoods in search of food and water made scarce by the drought.

Colton said the coyote knocked him down and scratched him on the hand.

I came out and the coyote was still there, said Jarred Coursey, Colton's father. And I tried to shoo him away. He stood his ground, would not leave. And I knew immediately that was not normal character for an animal like that.

Jarred Coursey said he then grabbed his shotgun and fired.

The Coursey's now want to warn other families to be aware and wary of wild animals growing bolder.

The coyote's body was tested for rabies, and those tests came back negative.


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