FWC DIVISION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT WEEKLY REPORT March 29 – April 4, 2013

FWC DIVISION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT

WEEKLY REPORT

March 29 – April 4, 2013        

 

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

 

ESCAMBIA COUNTY

 

Officer Matt Cushing received a complaint from Rooks Marina that a vessel was moored at the marina without permission. Officer Cushing conducted computer checks on the vessel registration and contacted the owner. The owner reported that his vessel had been stolen the week earlier. Officer Cushing met with the owner of the vessel to allow him to recover his property and turned over the theft investigation to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.

 

At approximately 2 a.m., Officers Kenneth Manning, Randall Brooks, John Clark, Faris Livesay, and Lt. Dan Hahr worked with NOAA Officer Grant Demesillo to conduct an Individual Fish Quota (IFQ) inspection on the fishing vessel Mary Joyce. After the vessel docked, the captain and deckhand offloaded four large coolers containing approximately 600 pounds of red snapper. The offload of fish is prohibited between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. A truck met the vessel crew at the dock and loaded the coolers into the bed. As the truck attempted to leave, the officers conducted a stop and inspection of the vehicle and vessel. The captain stated he was going to sell the fish to several individuals to make extra money on the side. The four coolers containing 587 pounds of red snapper and one undersized cobia were seized. Federal charges against the captain are pending.

 

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

 

Officers Howard Jones and Steve Hoomes and Lieutenants Doug Berryman and Brian Lambert responded to the scene of a single vessel crash involving a 39‑foot vessel. The crash occurred several hundred yards from Shoreline Park in Gulf Breeze. The 61‑year‑old owner/operator was killed in the crash. Four passengers, including the owner’s 42‑year‑old son and 14‑year‑old granddaughter, were injured. The passengers were transported to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola. One passenger was transported to Alabama UAB Hospital on Sunday. The accident is under investigation.

 

OKALOOSA COUNTY

 

Officer Heath Nichols made contact with a subject consuming alcoholic beverages at Henderson Beach State Park. As Officer Nichols approached, the subject tried to conceal the alcoholic beverage. A computer check revealed an active outstanding warrant for violation of probation stemming from a domestic violence charge. The subject was cited for possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages within the state park. He was transported and booked into the Okaloosa County Jail on the warrant.

 

BAY COUNTY

 

Officers Brad Leonard and Steve Wicker were working at St. Andrews State Park and observed several subjects walking from the jetties. One of the subjects was carrying a large fish wrapped in a towel. They conducted a fisheries inspection and found that none of the subjects had fishing licenses and the fish, which turned out to be a red drum, measured 35 inches. Two subjects were issued citations for not having a non-resident fishing license and the subject who was carrying the fish was charged with taking a red drum over the size limit.

 

LIBERTY COUNTY

 

Officers Mitchell Mims and Hank Forehand were on patrol when they observed two vehicles parked at a lease gate. As they approached the vehicles to check for hunters, they noticed a half empty bag of cracked corn in the bed of one of the trucks. Due to it being the middle of turkey season, they followed the hunters’ foot tracks in an attempt to locate them. As they made their way down a dim road, they came to an area that was heavily baited with the scratch feed. The officers followed the bait down the road and came to an old field area which was also heavily baited. As they stood in the wood line, they heard what sounded like a hen turkey calling for approximately 15 minutes before they entered the field. Once in the field, the officers located two turkey hunters, one on each end of the open field. Both men were well within 100 yards of the bait and were cited for attempting to take turkey over a baited area.

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