What would you do if a pal left a dead squirrel on your dashboard as a joke?

What would you do if a pal left a dead squirrel on your dashboard as a joke?

A) Laugh it off. Dispose of the carcass post-haste. Disinfect.

B) Abandon vehicle and friend.

C) Adopt the dead rodent as a pet and deposit it at the closest fast-food restaurant drive-through window.

Christopher Thompson allegedly chose the last option Friday.

According to Bartonville police, the 26-year-old Pekinite had been at a friend's place working on a recently purchased vehicle earlier in the day when the friend placed a lifeless squirrel on the dash.

Thompson told police he saw the animal but decided to leave it there as he departed. It still was on the dashboard about 9:45 p.m. when he pulled into the drive-through lane of the Bartonville Hardee's restaurant at 5515 S. Adams St.

After he pulled up to the window and received his order, he asked the attendant for "extra nuts" for his pet squirrel. The woman later told police he was holding and petting the dead rodent.

She expressed her disbelief at the scene unfolding before her eyes. "That squirrel is not real," she told the customer, according to a report. Then she turned to walk away.

Thompson allegedly retorted: "Yes, it is." And to validate the accuracy of his statement, he tossed the animal through the open window, where it skidded across a ledge and landed on the floor of the restaurant. He then drove away.

A customer picked up the carcass and set it outside in the snow. Police found and photographed the evidence.

A detective didn't catch up with Thompson for several days, but the suspect knew right away what they wanted. He told police the incident was a "stupid prank" and he was issued a notice to appear in court on a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct. He also told police he thought the drive-through window was closing and that the animal would not end up in the restaurant.

Thompson did not return a call from the Journal Star on Thursday. The incident does not appear to be related to so-called "fire in the hole" acts where drivers record themselves throwing drinks back through drive-through windows and post the videos online.

Matt Buedel can be reached at 686-3154 or mbuedel@pjstar.com.