FWC DIVISION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT WEEKLY REPORT July 6 – 12, 2012

FWC DIVISION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT

WEEKLY REPORT

July 6 – 12, 2012        

 

This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however,

it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement.

 

NORTHWEST REGION

 

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

 

Officers John Bell, Sulin Schafer and Lt. Dan Hahr were working marine fisheries enforcement in the Gulf Breeze area when they observed a vessel return from a fishing trip. Lieutenant Hahr observed three men transferring fish filets from a garbage bucket to a cooler. Lieutenant Hahr alerted the other officers, who inspected the vessel and coolers. Filets from an undersized cobia, undersized triggerfish, and a red snapper were identified. Two of the men were cited for failure to land fish in whole condition and the filets were seized as evidence.

 

BAY COUNTY

 

Lt. Jay Chesser and Officer Nick Price responded around midnight to a call from a female who reported her apparently drunk husband had her three children in a boat on the water somewhere between the Hathaway and Bailey Bridges. The children were calling and texting her for help. Lieutenant Chesser went to the boat ramp and met with the distraught mother while Officer Price went on vessel patrol. Shortly afterward, the boat arrived at the ramp and three very relieved children were offloaded. The operator refused to perform field sobriety tasks and was arrested for BUI. He was taken to the Bay County Jail where a sample of his breath yielded results of .307/.304. The subject was booked into the jail.

 

Officers Steve Wicker, Lane Kinney, and Jim Moore responded to a call from the U.S. Coast Guard regarding a boat that was adrift with its engine running and the operator passed out. The operator had been drinking and was taking prescription drugs. The operator failed the field sobriety tasks and a subsequent breath test yielded results of .128/.115. The operator was booked into the Bay County Jail for operating a vessel while impaired.

 

Officers Jim Moore, Lane Kinney, and Steve Wicker were on water patrol when they stopped a vessel whose operator displayed signs of impairment. The operator had been drinking and was taking a prescription drug. The suspect failed field sobriety tasks. Investigator Nelson arrived to take the vessel back to the dock as all the occupants had been drinking. The operator refused to submit to a breath sample and was booked into the Bay County Jail for operating a vessel while impaired.

 

Late at night, Lt. Jay Chesser and Officer David Brady were on patrol when they observed a sailboat that displayed no forward navigational lights. The vessel operator had to be asked several times to put his vessel in neutral and later displayed several signs of impairment. The operator failed field sobriety tasks, and then refused to provide a breath sample. The subject was booked into the Bay County Jail for operating a vessel while impaired.

 

Officer Dennis Palmer made a significant break in a case that he and Officer Nick Price had been working. Several weeks earlier, a baited gator hook had been located on Deer Point Lake, which began the investigation. This week a tip led Officer Palmer back to the area where an elderly woman was acting as a "lookout" and alerted several individuals who fled into the woods upon his arrival. Located nearby was an 11-foot long alligator, attached to an all terrain vehicle. Evidence indicated the alligator was being butchered at the time of Officer Palmer's arrival. Officer Nick Price arrived shortly afterward and one subject was located in the woods. Lt. Dennis Welsh and K-9 Officer Mike Guy arrived and the process of interviewing the witnesses and processing evidence began. The case is ongoing and arrests are forthcoming.

 

Officers David Brady and Jim Moore were on patrol when they stopped a vessel leaving Shell Island. The operator and all the occupants displayed signs of impairment. The vessel operator failed sobriety tests and a breath sample showed a breath alcohol content of .217/.212. The operator was booked into the Bay County Jail for operating a vessel with an unlawful breath alcohol content. Investigator Drew Nelson towed the vessel and occupants safely to the dock. 

 

Officer Michael Goodwin was conducting boating safety inspections at the St. Andrews State Park boat ramp when he observed a vessel nearly crash into two other vessels. He made contact with the vessel operator to conduct a boating safety inspection. The operator appeared to be under the influence. The subject was asked to complete field sobriety tasks, which indicated signs of impairment. Officer Goodwin arrested the subject for BUI. The subject submitted to a breath alcohol test that indicated .169 and .175. The subject was booked into the Bay County Jail.

 

Officers Michael Goodwin and Espy Letcher were conducting marine fisheries enforcement at St. Andrews State Park when they observed two subjects on the jetties filleting a large red drum. Both subjects were cited for not landing the fish whole.

 

Later, the officers conducted a marine fisheries inspection on a vessel at the park's boat ramp and found six legal red snapper in a cooler and two undersized red grouper hidden in the vessel's anchor compartment. The fisherman was cited for possession of undersized red grouper.

GULF COUNTY

 

Officer Hal Webb stopped a vessel on St. Joe Bay to conduct a marine fisheries inspection. The vessel had four occupants on board who had been harvesting bay scallops. One of the occupants advised the scallops were in the form of shucked meat and that some of them were harvested the day before. The subjects tried to write the date from the day before on the containers but the writing would not stay. None of the occupants knew the correct daily bag limit. Officer Webb educated them on the correct limits for both shucked meat and scallops in whole condition. Officer Webb measured the contents of their containers and discovered they had a total of five pints, which is one pint of meat over the vessel limit of a half gallon. Officer Webb issued a citation to the vessel captain for possession of over the daily bag limit of bay scallops.

 

JACKSON COUNTY

 

After midnight while on water patrol on the Apalachicola River, Officer Hank Forehand observed subjects using lights and gigging for fish on the shallow flats. After watching the subjects for some time, Officer Forehand followed them back to the boat ramp where he made contact and conducted a fisheries inspection. The subjects were found in possession of freshly gigged speckled perch and black bass, one of which the subjects attempted to conceal under the bow of their vessel. Citations were issued for taking freshwater game fish by unlawful method.

 

LIBERTY COUNTY

 

Lt. Harry Parker and Officer Lane Bentley concluded an investigation that began on June 8, when a doe deer was shot and discarded near the Highway 20 Bridge. Two witnesses near the scene gave a general description of the vehicle and driver involved. After checking several vehicles resembling the suspect truck, the officers received information that the suspects lived in a neighboring county. Lieutenant Parker and Officer Bentley located the suspects and conducted interviews. Both subjects furnished written statements and were charged with possession of illegal deer.

 

GADSDEN COUNTY

 

Officer Benjamin Johnson cited a Washington County man near the Jim Woodruff Dam for taking game fish by an illegal method. The subject was observed taking freshwater bream with a cast net.

 

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