FWC Division of Law Enforcement Weekly Report February 5, 2016 through February 11, 2016

FWC

Division of Law Enforcement

 

Weekly Report

February 5, 2016 through February 11, 2016

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.

Please note: The next weekly report will be sent Monday, February 22

and subsequent Mondays thereafter.

Patrol, Protect, Preserve

NORTHWEST REGION

FRANKLIN COUNTY

Officer Nelson observed an individual who appeared to be actively harvesting oysters in Alligator Harbor.  Officers Stephens, Walker and Waring arrived on scene to assist. Officers Walker and Waring surveilled the individual harvesting oysters from the location and called Officer Stephens when the individual was packing up and heading towards the boat ramp.  Officer Stephens conducted a boating safety and resource inspection of the vessel at the boat ramp.  The other officers arrived to assist and the inspection revealed multiple violations.  The individual had 3.5 bags of oysters aboard; one bag was found to contain 59% undersized oysters. Additionally, the individual did not have a marine sanitation device aboard his vessel and did not have a separate bilge area, allowing possible contaminants to contact the oysters.  The individual was also unable to produce all of the necessary boating safety equipment.  The appropriate citations and warnings were issued and the oysters were returned to the water alive.

While returning from an offshore patrol in the Patrol Vessel Guardian, the crew, consisting of Lieutenant Marlow, Officers Nelson, Raker and Robb, observed a vessel and its two occupants on the end of a grassy point.  Guardian traveled to the rear of the island out of sight of the individuals and nosed up to the edge of the shoreline.  Officers Nelson and Robb got off the vessel and travelled by foot to where they could observe the individuals and watched them picking up their duck decoys.  The officers approached the individuals and found them in possession of over the bag limit of redhead ducks.  The appropriate charges and warnings were issued to the individuals.

The Offshore Patrol Vessel Guardian received a call for service of a commercial fishing vessel that was disabled and had an injured occupant aboard.  The vessel was reported to be approximately 50 miles southwest of Carrabelle, in heavy seas, unable to anchor and adrift.  The Guardian and its crew, consisting of Lieutenant Marlow, Officers Hughes, Raker, Rice and Stephens responded to the call for service.  Approximately three hours later, the Guardian came on scene to assist the disabled vessel in 7+ foot seas.  They assisted with effectively getting the vessel anchored and secured, came alongside the disabled vessel and recovered the vessel captain, a crewman and a K-9.  They safely transported the occupants to Apalachicola where one of the individuals later received medical treatment.  The commercial vessel was recovered several days later when seas calmed.

JACKSON COUNTY 

Officers Guy and Baber responded to a landowner’s complaint regarding trespass.  The landowner told the officers he heard a shot on his property and later found a seven‑point buck that had been shot.  Over the next two weeks, the officers investigated the incident and identified two suspects.  Both suspects were subsequently arrested for trespass.  One of the suspects was also charged with possession of methamphetamine, manufacture of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Officers Forehand and Burkhead responded to a complaint at Apalachee Wildlife Management Area (WMA) regarding an individual who had gotten his truck stuck on the management area. When the officers arrived, the person seemed very nervous and evasive with the officers.  A records check showed the person was a convicted felon.  After an interview, the suspect admitted hiding a muzzleloader in the woods prior to the officers’ arrival.  At the direction of the State Attorney’s Office, the suspect was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 

Officer Burkhead responded to a landowner’s complaint regarding trespass. The landowner located corn and a game camera on his property.  Officer Burkhead identified a suspect living at a residence along the border of the landowner’s property.  The suspect admitted to trespassing and putting up the game camera.  The camera was returned to the suspect and he was charged with trespass. 

Officer Forehand received a call at home from a Cottondale police officer who saw a truck shine a light at a field and heard a shot come from the truck.  When Officer Forehand arrived, he located a deer that had been shot in the field. Both suspects were charged with night hunting and road hunting.  One of the suspects was a convicted felon and he was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  A 30‑06 rifle was seized as evidence.

OKALOOSA COUNTY

Officer Jarvis began an investigation on a Derelict Vessel (DV) in the Joe’s Bayou area in Destin.  Officer Jarvis identified the owner responsible for leaving the DV in state waters.  The vessel owner was provided additional time to remove the DV prior to being issued a citation.  The DV was not removed within the agreed timeline.  The vessel’s owner was issued a derelict vessel citation.

Officers Pifer and Molnar inspected a campsite on Eglin Reservation WMA which is known to have deer hunters camping during season. The officers made contact with an individual and located some untagged deer meat at his campsite.  The investigation revealed some of the untagged deer meat belonged to another individual who was warned by Officer Molnar for the exact same violation in November 2015.  The individual was issued a criminal citation for possession of untagged deer meat while at camp.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

While Officers Miller and Land were patrolling Eglin WMA, they located multiple tree stands placed in close proximity to several illegal food plots. The following morning, the officers returned to the area and located two hunters exiting the woods.  One of the hunters claimed to be stalk hunting even though he was wearing a harness used for hunting from a tree stand.  The second hunter stated that he had been hunting from a nearby ladder stand.  The hunters took the officers back to the area where they had been hunting; the same area that had the illegal food plots.  After questioning, the two hunters admitted to placing bait within the management area and planting the food plots.  Both hunters were issued a notice to appear for placing/hunting over bait on a management area and their Eglin Permits were seized by Range Patrol.

Officers teamed up with other FWC staff to work the Blackwater Hutton Unit Mobility Impaired Hunts over the last two weekends.  As they have for the last several years, the officers helped to provide the hunters and guests with a full meal each day, assistance with cleaning their game, and assistance tracking and recovering game.  Several members and groups within the community stepped up to donate money, food, and time to help make this a successful hunt.  Several hunters bagged deer and all of the hunters enjoyed their hunt. Many thanks to all of the staff that volunteered their time and efforts towards making this hunt one of the best in the state!

WAKULLA COUNTY

Officers Hofheinz, Matechik, Hoelscher, and Nelson were working a night hunting detail in the Apalachicola National Forest.  While working the deer decoy, they observed the same pickup pass their location and shine a spotlight towards the location of the deer decoy on different occasions.  A vehicle stop was conducted on the vehicle and the occupants were found to be in possession of a loaded .308 caliber rifle and a .22 caliber rifle.  They were also in possession of several spotlights which the subjects were using to shine for deer. The subjects were interviewed and admitted to looking for deer.  Both subjects were charged with night hunting.

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

JACKSON COUNTY

Lieutenant Allen and Officer Forehand were invited by the Hope School in Marianna to participate in the school’s literacy week.  The officers read stories to one of the classes and conducted an alligator presentation to the entire student body.

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