FWC DIVISION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT WEEKLY REPORT July 27 – August 2, 2012

FWC DIVISION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT

WEEKLY REPORT

July 27 – August 2, 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

 

Officer Howard Jones received a call from Dispatch that persons were in the water and in trouble west of the Navarre Beach Causeway. Officer Jones launched his patrol boat and proceeded to the location. He found that a strong west wind and resulting rough seas had forced a disabled personal watercraft (PWC), along with a father and young son, against the barnacle and oyster encrusted seawall of the causeway. The officer nosed his boat up to the disabled craft, tossed a line to the father and told him to wrap it around the handlebars. He then towed the craft and the uninjured occupants safely to shore.

 

BAY COUNTY

 

Officer Jim Moore completed a boating accident investigation and served arrest warrants charging one operator with three counts of aggravated battery, three counts of aggravated assault, one count of petit theft, and one count of violation of navigational rules resulting in a boating accident. These arrests stem from a late night boating accident involving two collisions, one unintentional, and one deliberate. Officer Moore spent several weeks compiling evidence, obtaining statements, and consulting with the State Attorney’s Office.

 

Lt. Jay Chesser recently received a disposition for a boating under the influence (BUI) case involving a subject who had a breath alcohol content of .307 and .304. The subject plead no contest, was adjudicated guilty, given 12 months probation, and fined $1,550. He had his driver’s license revoked for a year, his vehicle immobilized for 10 days, and ordered to install an ignition interlock device for one year, pay $100 in prosecutor/public defender fees, perform 50 hours of community service, and complete a DUI multiple offender program.

 

Officers Steve Wicker and Jim Moore checked a fishing guide as he returned from a trip with his deckhand and six fishers. The inspection revealed 19 red snapper, one red grouper and one gag grouper. Both of the grouper were undersized, and three of the red snapper were undersized. The vessel’s charter fishing license was expired and no one onboard possessed a current recreational fishing license. The captain had been warned the previous day that his license needed to be renewed. The captain then advised it wasn’t a commercial trip, but a pleasure trip. Due to this change, all onboard were cited for no fishing licenses, and the captain and deckhand were cited for possession of undersized red snapper, possession of over the bag limit of red snapper, and possession of undersized gag and red grouper.

 

GADSDEN COUNTY

 

On Wednesday, the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office asked for K-9 Officer Ros Welborn’s assistance in locating a missing elderly female, reported missing from just west of Greensboro Florida. Officer Welborn arrived and spoke with the Road Sergeant and K-9 Deputy Joe Barnes, and members of the family. Family members attempted to locate the female by walking the area around and behind the residence before officers’ arrival. After checking the residence again to no avail, Officer Welborn deployed K-9 “Gauge.” A cursory search was conducted behind the residence and to the west along a recently clear-cut area. While directly behind the residence, K-9 Gauge had a change in behavior and began working toward the west. Officer Welborn could see where someone or something had pushed the grass down in several places. At that time, Officer Welborn thought that K-9 Gauge’s change in behavior was from the odor left by family members searching earlier and redirected him away from that area. Officer Welborn and K-9 Gauge moved to the clear-cut area and attempted to locate fresh foot signs which then led him to work toward Highway 12 to the south and then back to the residence.

 

After returning to the residence, Officers again spoke with the family, and they made contact with other family members and friends in the event the female had been taken shopping. Officer Welborn and team were also awaiting the arrival of FWC air support. Lt. Harry Parker arrived to assist by checking several possible locations once air support arrived. The helicopter began searching from the residence in a grid search pattern approximately one-quarter mile north and one-half mile to the east. As they searched, Deputy Barnes and K-9 “Cherokee”, Deputy Bucholtz, and Officer Welborn began to search the south side of Highway 12. After being unable to locate odor, they moved back across the highway east of the residence and searched back toward the west. As Deputy Barnes and K-9 Cherokee worked into the area directly behind the residence where K-9 Gauge had a change in behavior, K-9 Cherokee also had a change in behavior. Deputy Barnes thought the odor was from family in the same location where they had been earlier. As he moved north, the helicopter was hovering along the tree line. Deputy Bucholtz observed the female sit up. Deputy Bucholtz made contact with her and advised he had located her alive. He then carried her out and was met by EMS who transported the elderly woman to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.

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