FWC Law Enforcement Weekly Report 01/09 - 01/15/2015

(Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.) FWC Division of Law Enforcement   Weekly Report January 9th thru January 15th, 2015 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 ESCAMBIA COUNTY Officer Pettey received several complaints from landowners in McDavid that someone had been illegally running deer dogs on their property.  The landowners gave a detailed description of the dog and observed it chasing a deer.  Officer Pettey responded to the area and encountered a hunter attempting to catch the dog off of private property.  When Officer Pettey interviewed the subject, he admitted turning the dog loose in an attempt to kill a deer.  The subject turned the dog loose on property he had permission to hunt on but it ran through four other pieces of property chasing deer.  Officer Pettey issued the subject notice to appear citations for allowing his dog to run deer on unregistered private property and for allowing it to pursue wildlife without landowner permission. SANTA ROSA COUNTY Officer Jones was on patrol on the Eglin Wildlife Management Area near the community of Holley.  He heard the sounds of a loud vehicle repeatedly being accelerated.  He drove to the sounds and found an individual on a high performance ATV. The operator saw the officer approaching and fled.  The officer followed through woodland trails with lights and siren activated.  He found the ATV and its operator stopped near a neighborhood street. A barrier between him and the officer prevented the patrol vehicle from proceeding.  The officer exited his vehicle and shouted for the operator to stop and the operator fled.  The officer gave chase on foot.  The fleeing operator attempted to make a turn onto another street and lost control of the ATV.  The officer apprehended the suspect who then resisted arrest.  The operator was charged with operating an ATV on the Eglin Wildlife Management Area, not having an Eglin Permit, fleeing from law enforcement on a motor vehicle, and resisting arrest.  He was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail. OKALOOSA COUNTY Officer Corbin received a complaint of hunters rallying ducks in the Santa Rosa Sound. The complainant met Officer Corbin at his location and showed him a video of a hunter rallying ducks with a vessel. Officer Corbin observed the hunters and met them at the boat ramp when they returned.  He questioned the hunters and one hunter admitted he jumped ducks and they flew toward the three people he was hunting with.  The three other hunters admitted to shooting at the ducks and killed one redhead.  Officer Corbin obtained a sworn written statement and issued a notice to appear. Officer Molnar received information that a group of dog hunters were running dogs in a still hunt, vehicle restricted area on Eglin Wildlife Management Area. Upon arrival, an area was located with fresh tire sign where a vehicle drove around a posted locked gate. Moments later, a vehicle was observed operating in the restricted area with a single hunting dog inside.  The subject was issued a criminal citation for violation of entering and/or exiting an area at times specified by the installation commander and an infraction citation for operating a motor vehicle off a name or numbered trail.  The subject was also banned from the management by Security Forces for one year. While on patrol, Officer Pifer observed a vehicle pulling a PWC trailer without a tag.  The vehicle pulled into a local boat ramp where Officer Pifer made contact with the operator.  When questioned about the tag, the operator stated his 13‑year‑old son was driving his PWC around to the ramp.  The subject admitted that he knew he was in trouble for allowing his son to operate the PWC by himself.  Several minutes later, the son pulled into the ramp.  The subject was issued a notice to appear for allowing a person less than 14 years of age to operate a PWC.  Several other warnings were issued, including no vessel trailer tag. WALTON COUNTY Walton and Okaloosa officers worked a joint hunting detail with the Walton County Sheriff’s Department Pop (Problem Oriented Policing) Squad.  The detail was organized to deter night hunting and enforce the new antler restrictions. In two separate incidents, four subjects who were hunting were found to be trespassing.  Two were charged with trespassing on property other than structure or conveyance after it was determined they had entered posted private property.  Two others were issued trespass warnings at the request of the landowner. Lieutenant Hollinhead, along with Officers Arnette and White patrolled an area after hearing a single rifle shot. Officer Arnette observed a subject exiting a wooded area and found that he was in possession of an antlerless deer. The subject was charged with taking/possession of an antlerless deer. A records check revealed the subject had a felony conviction prohibiting him from possessing a firearm.  A rifle in his possession that was used to take the deer was seized.

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