Viral Video of Raccoon Liquor Store Break-in Debunked: Real Footage Revealed

In a bizarre case of animal intoxication gone viral, social media users have been sharing a video supposedly showing a raccoon breaking into a Virginia liquor store, sampling the merchandise, and ultimately passing out on the bathroom floor. While the raccoon’s drunken adventure did indeed occur, the widely circulated video footage is entirely artificial.

Officials from the Virginia Alcohol Beverage and Control Authority have confirmed that the viral video showing detailed footage of a raccoon ransacking liquor shelves is AI-generated and bears no resemblance to the actual incident or store location.

“Yes, that is an AI-generated video and is not our store or raccoon,” said Pat Kane, spokesperson for the Virginia ABC, which oversees the state-run liquor store in Ashland where the real incident took place.

The actual event occurred on November 28, when a raccoon entered the Ashland ABC store after business hours and triggered a security alert due to a power outage. The following morning, store management discovered what locals have dubbed the “Black Friday Bandit” unconscious on the floor amid the aftermath of its alcohol-fueled adventure.

According to Kane, the raccoon damaged 14 bottles of spirits, resulting in approximately $250 worth of inventory loss. Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter, which handled the inebriated animal, later released authentic images of the raccoon following its liquor store escapade.

Legitimate surveillance footage of the incident was first broadcast by ABC 8 News, a local Virginia television station. These authentic recordings, independently verified through the Virginia ABC, show significantly grainier and less polished imagery than the AI-generated version circulating online.

Digital media experts point to several telltale signs revealing the fake nature of the viral video. Close examination shows liquor bottle labels that blur into one another and wobble unnaturally as the video plays—a common artifact in AI-generated content. The labels themselves contain gibberish text rather than readable brand names.

The fabricated video also contains glaring continuity errors. The background inexplicably transforms from liquor shelves to an exit sign between clips, another common issue with AI-generated content that lacks logical consistency.

Despite the fabricated nature of the viral video, the unusual story has captured public imagination. Hanover County has embraced their intoxicated local celebrity, even producing “Ashland Drunk Raccoon” merchandise. Proceeds from these sales will support the county’s animal care and protection services.

“While this raccoon gave us all a much-needed laugh, our officers handle hundreds of calls each year involving wildlife, stray animals, and emergencies requiring specialized training and equipment,” the Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter wrote in a December 3 social media post.

The incident highlights the increasing challenge of distinguishing authentic content from AI-generated media. As artificial intelligence tools become more sophisticated and widely accessible, digitally fabricated content continues to spread rapidly across social platforms, often outpacing the original source material.

This case demonstrates how even when the underlying story is accurate, visual “evidence” can be completely manufactured—combining an element of truth with fabricated imagery that appears convincing at first glance but contains subtle inconsistencies revealing its artificial nature.

For those encountering unusual animal videos online, experts recommend checking for unnatural movements, inconsistent backgrounds, warping text, and other visual anomalies that often indicate AI generation.