FWC Law Enforcement Weekly Report January 5, 2018 through January 11, 2018

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FWC

 

Division of Law Enforcement

Weekly Report

January 5, 2018 through January 11, 2018

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

CASES

ESCAMBIA COUNTY

Officer Pettey checked a pair of fishermen at Quintette Boat Ramp. He discovered that they were in possession of 120 panfish, 20 over their allowable daily bag limit. A notice to appear citation was issued for the violation.

OKALOOSA COUNTY

Officer Pifer was on land patrol responding to River's Edge Boat Ramp in Holt in reference to an individual shooting at black vultures, commonly referred to as buzzards, on the Yellow River. The complainant provided a description of the shooter and vessel. When the officer arrived, the complainant was standing by and identified the subject’s vehicle. FWC Officer White arrived on scene to assist. Within a few minutes, the officers observed a vessel with one individual matching the description given by the complainant, returning to the boat ramp. The officer determined the vessel operator was returning from a hunting trip. The subject had shot one wood duck. A resource inspection revealed that the shotgun was unplugged, capable of holding more than three shells. The individual admitted that he shot at a buzzard but did not hit it. The subject was issued a notice to appear resource citation for failure to plug the shotgun and a warning for shooting at a protected species.

Officer Corbin was on land patrol at the Fisherman’s CO-OP in the Destin Harbor when he observed a federally documented commercial fishing vessel tying to a dock. The officer determined the vessel was returning from a commercial fishing trip. The vessel harvested red snapper and vermilion snapper. Under the federal commercial vessel program, when landing red snapper, the operator or owner of vessel must report a three-hour landing notification prior to docking, which did not occur. Officer Corbin had seen the vessel in the harbor earlier with an individual cleaning the fish and tossing some back into the water. The officer determined the deckhand was tossing all undersized fish back into the water. The remaining fish included undersized red snapper and undersized vermilion snapper, both in violation of federal and state fisheries laws. The operator of the vessel was found in the cabin sleeping. In plain view, Officer Corbin observed glass smoking pipes next to the boat operator used in a method of inhaling illegal drugs. Residue on the pipe was field tested as positive for methamphetamine. In close vicinity, other additional smoking glass pipes were found along with a small container with substance that tested positive for methamphetamine. The operator was arrested, handcuffed and transported to Okaloosa County Jail where the intake process was completed. The intake officer located a controlled substance in the operator’s wallet. The operator was charged with two felonies and one misdemeanor. A National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) officer arrived on scene to address the failure of providing a landing notification and the undersized fish.

Officer Pifer met with a complainant after they reported witnessing an antlerless deer shot from a state highway. The complainant provided a statement of what he observed which included a tag number of the vehicle. Officer Pifer located the deer which appeared to have been shot with a shotgun. Lieutenant Hollinhead met Officer Pifer at the residence of the registered owner of the vehicle. After a short interview, the driver and passenger admitted to shooting the deer from the side of the roadway. Both subjects were charged with taking an antlerless deer and the passenger was also charged with discharging a firearm from the roadway.

SANTA ROSA

Officer Hutchinson was working late at night in the Blackwater State Forest when he observed two vehicles with a bright light being shined from the driver side window of the first vehicle. As he watched, the driver shined the light into the tree line and across an open field on private property. When the two vehicles stopped at a large tree beside the roadway, Officer Hutchinson pulled in behind them and observed one of the subjects standing in the road shining his light in the top of the tree. Officer Hutchison determined that the men were hunting raccoons with the use of a light from a moving vehicle which is prohibited. Officer Hutchison issued the man who used the light a notice to appear for attempting to take racoon with the use of a light from a moving vehicle.

Officer Hutchinson and Lieutenant Hahr assisted Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources with a night hunting case before the 2017 hunting season. The case involved two subjects who killed two bucks in velvet in Alabama at night before the hunting season. Officer Hutchinson and Lieutenant Hahr caught the subjects in possession of the deer in Florida and worked in conjunction with the Alabama officers to make the case. Officer Hutchinson appeared in court in Alabama along with the Alabama Conservation Officers resulting in a conviction for one of the subjects. The other subject failed to appear in court.

Officer Jones was on patrol in South Santa Rosa County, in Navarre Beach, when he noticed a man exit an old sailboat that was anchored in Santa Rosa Sound. The man boarded a small dinghy and proceeded to the boat ramp. As Officer Jones approached the vessel to conduct a boating safety check, the operator of the vessel turned the vessel and began to motor away. The subject refused to comply with repeated instruction to return to the dock and returned to his sailboat, where he removed the small motor from the dinghy. The operator then paddled to the dock where Officer Jones was located and was placed under arrest for interference with an FWC officer and booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail. The subject was also issued a uniform boating citation for an expired registration.

WALTON

Lieutenant Hollinhead and Officer Letcher received information about a subject taking an illegal deer. The officers located the subject and questioned him about the information they received. The officers were provided the antlers of the deer which measured only four inches and the name of another subject involved with taking the deer. Both subjects were juveniles and were educated on the law of antler restrictions.

LEON

After receiving information from the investigations section, RPS Officers Miller and Pekerol began investigating illegal fishing that was possibly taking place on Lake Overstreet in Maclay Gardens State Park. Lake Overstreet is closed to fishing at all times. After an initial investigation, a small boat was found stashed on the bank of the lake. After surveillance of the area, Officer Miller was able to catch the suspect fishing on the lake. The subject was issued citations for evasion of state park fees and fishing in a closed area.

LIBERTY

While on uniform patrol just south of Hitchcock Lake, Officer Bell observed an individual standing near his truck holding a shotgun. After driving past the individual, Officer Bell turned around to conduct a resource inspection. The subject advised the officer that he was not hunting, but only listening to the dogs trailing deer. Officer Bell inquired about the shotgun that he was holding. After a short search of the area, a loaded 12-gauge shotgun was found approximately ten yards from where the individual had been standing. After speaking with dispatch, the individual was confirmed as a convicted felon. The individual was placed under arrest and transported to jail for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

FRANKLIN

While on patrol, Officers Richardson and Sauls spotted a commercial net boat east of Carrabelle. The officers traveled down by foot from the highway and observed fishermen actively retrieving a net from the water and removing fish from it. During a subsequent resource inspection, it was determined that two of the nets were connected and exceeded one thousand square feet. All the nets were seized for more precise measurements to be conducted. After completing the measurements, four misdemeanor charges were filed for fishing with a net exceeding five hundred square feet, connecting two nets so as to exceed five hundred square feet, carriage of nets exceeding five hundred square feet on a vessel less than twenty-five feet with a forward mounted motor and not marking nets with saltwater products license number.

WAKULLA

While on patrol, RPS Officer Raker responded to a complaint of an individual harvesting oysters from prohibited waters within Dickerson Bay. Upon arrival, an individual was seen exiting Dickerson Bay with three bags of oysters on a bicycle. Officer Raker identified himself and showed his badge to the individual. The individual refused to stop for Officer Raker and then ran into the adjacent woods. Officers Nelson and Matechik responded to the area to assist Officer Raker in apprehending the fleeing subject. Officer Nelson was able to locate the individual a short distance away and take him into custody. The officers then completed their investigation resulting in six misdemeanors and one felony charge being filed. The violations included harvest of oysters from a prohibited area, over the bag limit for oysters, possession of undersized oysters, giving a false name to a law enforcement officer, interference with an FWC officer, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

CALHOUN

Officer Hayes responded to a complaint from a landowner about trespassing. The landowner had game camera photos of a vehicle on his property. The landowner stated he knew who the suspect was and had previously told him to stay off his property. Officer Hayes tracked down the suspect who was currently in the Liberty County Jail on unrelated charges. The suspect admitted to trespassing, charges have been filled with the State Attorney’s office for the violation.

JACKSON

Officer Forehand responded to a call from an FHP Trooper who had conducted a traffic stop on I-10. The Trooper noticed blood on the bumper of the car and had been told by the two occupants that they killed a four and six-point buck earlier that morning. When Officer Forehand arrived, he found two ice chests with fresh untagged deer meat in the trunk of the car. He also found two fresh deer tails but no deer antlers. He noticed the deer back straps seemed very small to have been legal deer. Subsequent interview revealed both suspects admitted to killing two doe deer that morning. Charges have been filled on both subjects for of taking doe deer during the closed season and possession of deer meat without sex evidence.

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLCING

OKALOOSA COUNTY

Officer Maltais conducted an outreach event for the Boys Scouts #522. The officer covered fishing regulations, fish identification, fishing methods, boating safety, and answered numerous questions resulting from the group discussion. The scouts met their elective requirements for “A Bear Goes Fishing.”

RESCUES

HOLMES

Officers assisted Holmes County Sheriff’s Office with a search for two lost hunters in the Choctawhatchee River WMA after dark. With freezing temperatures, the subjects were found quickly and had no medical conditions.

MAJOR WILDLIFE ASSISTANCE

GULF

The Gulf County squad braved frigid freezing temperatures to rescue cold water stressed sea turtles in St Joe Bay. Approximately ninety-five stunned turtles were recovered and delivered to Gulf World to be cared for until the water temperatures rise and they can be released.

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