FWC Law Enforcement Weekly Report 10/24 - 10/30/2014

(Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.) FWC Division of Law Enforcement   Weekly Report October 24 – October 30, 2014 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. Patrol, Protect, Preserve NORTHWEST REGION BAY COUNTY Just after dark, Officer Palmer noticed a truck parked adjacent to the Econfina Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and watched as two camouflaged subjects exited the woods.  Neither subject was carrying a weapon and when asked what they were doing, they said “walking in the woods.” After the subjects left the area, Officer Palmer backtracked and found a stand surrounded by corn.  The following morning, Officer Palmer staked out the stand and just before lunch, the subjects returned to retrieve the stand.  They were greeted by Officer Palmer who issued citations for placing bait in the WMA. ESCAMBIA COUNTY Officer Hutchinson was patrolling the area of Escambia River and Williams Lake Boat Ramp.  Upon arrival at the boat ramp, Officer Hutchinson observed two male subjects loading a boat onto the trailer.  He made contact with both subjects and asked if they had caught anything.  The owner of the boat said, “Yes, we caught a few small ones.”   After the subjects pulled the boat out of the water and loaded it, the owner asked Officer Hutchinson if he wanted to look in the boat.  While Officer Hutchinson was attempting to inspect the fish in the live well, the passenger of the boat pulled an undersized black bass out of the live well and turned toward the water with it.  Officer Hutchinson told him to hold on and let him see it.  At that time, the subject threw the bass into the water and the fish swam away.  Officer Hutchinson asked the subject how long the bass was and he said, “It was 11 inches.”  Officer Hutchinson asked him why he threw the bass into the water after being told to wait. He said, “I knew the bass was not legal to keep because it wasn’t 12 inches long.” The subject was issued a notice to appear citation for interference or obstruction of an FWC officer. On the opening day of archery season, Officer Manning located a hunter sitting in a ladder stand.  When Officer Manning identified himself as an FWC officer, the hunter jumped out of the stand and took off running.  After backup arrived, the officers looked around the stand and located a loaded .22 caliber rifle and some clothing.  The officers, with help from local K-9 units, tracked the individual to a blacktop road.  The track was lost at the road.  The officers located the hunter’s cell phone during the track.  The officers also located the hunter’s vehicle and were able to identify him from all the items they had found.  The officers towed the vehicle.  Warrants were issued for the suspect for numerous criminal charges. LEON COUNTY Investigator Dupree began an investigation of a dumping complaint.  The contents dumped were vehicle tires, paint buckets, parts of a personal watercraft and other yard and household debris. Investigator Field located a vessel registration among the trash pile.  Through that information, Investigator Dupree’s investigation led her to a company that was hired to clear and clean the property of debris and trash.  Investigator Dupree interviewed the company’s owner.  Her investigation determined the owner of the company cleaned and removed the debris and trash from the property and dumped the solid waste material on the shoulder of the road.  Investigator Dupree completed an arrest warrant affidavit for felony dumping for commercial gain.  The arrest warrant affidavit was signed by the judge. SANTA ROSA COUNTY Officers Hoomes and Manning were working the opening of archery season in Blackwater WMA.  They observed a vehicle parked near a location where the officers earlier found an area baited with corn.  The officers went to this baited area and located a hunter wearing camouflage.  The hunter was sitting in a tree stand overlooking the baited area.  He was also in possession of archery equipment.  The subject admitted to placing the corn in the area and also admitted he knew it was illegal to hunt over bait in the WMA.  The subject was issued a citation for hunting over bait in a WMA.

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