PETA wants raccoon-killing Huskers player punished

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) The president of an animal rights group wants Nebraska athletic director Shawn Eichorst to punish a football player for killing a raccoon that bit him during his attempt to take a picture of himself with the animal.

Jack Gangwish spotted the raccoon on the side of a road near Lincoln on Dec. 3 and stopped to take a selfie. When Gangwish approached, the raccoon bit him on the calf. Gangwish used a wrench from his truck to kill the raccoon.

PETA president Ingrid Newkirk wrote to Eichorst: ''It's time for acts of cruelty to animals committed by players to be taken extremely seriously, and with violence in football culture now under the microscope, this is the time to address the issue.''

A message was left for Eichorst on Thursday.