FWC Law Enforcement Weekly Report June 1, 2018 through June 7, 2018

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FWC

 

Division of Law Enforcement Weekly Report

June 1, 2018 through June 7, 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 Jernigan was on water patrol on the Escambia River near the Highway 90 bridge when he saw two men fishing from one of the bridge supports. Both men had been fishing, but only one of them had a valid fishing license. Officer Jernigan noticed a line tied to the back of the piling that had several fish on it, including two redfish under the minimum size limit of 18 inches. One of the men admitted catching both fish and was charged with taking undersized redfish and warned for the bag limit violation.

Officers Long, Clark and Allgood were on patrol in Perdido Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The officers conducted a stop on a subject who was not wearing a seatbelt as he passed the officers. The operator pulled over, and after a brief conversation with the operator, Officer Long saw signs of impairment. Officer Long performed standardized field sobriety tasks on the operator and arrested the operator after performing poorly on the tasks for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. He was charged with DUI second offense, refusal to submit to breath test second offense, knowingly driving while license is suspended second offense, attaching a tag not assigned to that vehicle and not wearing a seat belt.

OKALOOSA COUNTY

FWC with its partner agencies, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office marine unit and security personnel, Okaloosa County Jail Processing Center, U.S. Coast Guard, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office marine unit, Fort Walton Beach Police Department, Fort Walton Beach Fire and Rescue, Okaloosa Island Fire and Rescue, and Air Force Security Forces, provided public safety for the 63rd Billy Bowlegs Pirates Festival. Part of the Billy Bowlegs event involved about 600 to 700 vessels anchored off Santa Rosa Sound near the Fort Walton Beach landing. Law enforcement and first responder actions included 692 vessel stops; 2,256 citizen contacts; 18 BUI arrests; 56 uniform boating citations issued; 112 written warnings issued; 13 fight and disturbance interventions; 43 calls for service or public assist; four search and rescues; 19 medical responses; six medical transports; one medical transport to hospital; three drug possession charges; two intoxicated individuals secured at the drunk tent; one possession of alcohol under 21 years of age; and one boating accident.

Officer Corbin was on land patrol conducting boating safety, resource protection and license compliance in the Destin area. The officer saw three individuals actively fishing with rods and reels off the Destin Beach. Officer Corbin waited in the parking lot until one of the individuals returned to their vehicle. He made contact and asked to inspect the individual’s required Eglin Beach permit. The individual did not have the permit. The other two individuals also returned to the vehicle. The officer explained that Eglin Beach closes at sunset. All three individuals did not have a saltwater fishing license. During the fisheries inspection, Officer Corbin saw beer in the cooler. All three individuals were under the age of 21. The owner of the vehicle claimed ownership of the beer and was issued a notice to appear citation. All individuals were issued citations for no fishing license.

Officer Corbin was on land patrol conducting boating safety, resource protection and license compliance at Cinco Bayou Boat Ramp. The officer saw a male subject exit a vehicle and enter the water with a spear gun and snorkel gear. He saw the subject swimming parallel with the bridge and spearfishing. About three hours later, the subject returned to his vehicle by land without his spear gun. Officer Corbin explained that he had saw him spearfishing within 100 yards of the bridge without a divers down device displayed. The individual did not have a valid fishing license. The individual intentionally left his spear gun on the other side of the bayou because he felt there was an FWC officer in the parking lot. The subject was cited for spearfishing within 100 yards of a fishing bridge, no divers down device and no fishing license.

Officers Corbin and Carter, Investigator Hein and Major Duval were on vessel patrol conducting boating safety inspection and resource protection in the Destin area. They saw a vessel returning from the Gulf of Mexico with rods and reels displayed. The vessel was stopped and a fisheries inspection revealed that a red snapper was harvested out of season. The boat operator was issued a notice to appear citation.

Officers Pifer, Winton and Investigator Patterson were on vessel patrol conducting boating safety inspection and resource protection in the Destin area. They saw a vessel returning from the Gulf of Mexico with rods and reels displayed. The vessel was stopped and a fisheries inspection revealed red snapper and gray triggerfish harvested out of season, along with an undersized red grouper. The operator was issued a notice to appear citation for the resource violations.

Officers Pifer, Winton and Investigator Patterson made a vessel stop that resulted in the arrest of the operator for BUI. Further, Officer Pifer charged the operator with possession of cannabis under 20 grams and paraphernalia. The operator was transported to Okaloosa County Jail.

Officers Corbin, Matechik, Carter and Investigator Hein were on vessel patrol in the Destin Harbor. A boating safety stop was conducted on a 2007 21-foot vessel. While conducting the boating safety inspection, Investigator Hein, who is a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE), saw a vape pen when a subject opened a compartment on the center console of the vessel to retrieve the vessel registration. Investigator Hein saw the oil in the vape pen was not consistent with the type of oil normally used in a vape pen. The oil inside the vape pen was thick and a dark yellow color, consistent with Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is the intoxicant inside cannabis. Upon consent to a search, Investigator Hein detected an odor of cannabis. A field test was done and it was determined the oil in the vape pen was THC. The owner was issued a notice to appear citation.

Officers Corbin, Carter, Investigator Hein and Major Duval were on vessel patrol conducting boating safety inspections in the Destin Pass. The officers saw a vessel being operated on the east side of Crab Island with several adults and children on board. There was also an infant, 6 months old onboard not wearing a lifejacket (PFD) while the vessel was underway. They conducted a vessel stop and advised the operator of the violation. The officers asked the operator if he had a PFD onboard the vessel for the infant and he provided a PFD for a child weighing less than 50 pounds, the improper size for an infant. It was determined the vessel was rented and the livery failed to provide the proper life jacket. The livery personnel who rented the vessel issued a notice to appear citation.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Officer Ramos was on vessel patrol in the Santa Rosa Sound and conducted a boating safety inspection on a pontoon vessel with five adults and three children onboard. During the safety inspection it was discovered that there were only adult personal flotation devices (PFDs) on board and no proper fitting PFDs for the children onboard. The operator stated that the vessel was rented from a nearby livery. Officer Ramos asked the pontoon vessel to return to the livery where he ensured they received the correct sized PFDs for the children. He then identified the person responsible for issuing the safety equipment for the rental and issued the employee a notice to appear citation for not providing the proper safety equipment to the vessel.

WAKULLA COUNTY

Officers Hughes and Korade were on land patrol on Forest Road 305 in the Apalachicola Wildlife Management Area (WMA) near the intersection of Forest Road 376 when they saw vehicle lights going in circles at the intersection. They stopped the vehicle and contacted the occupants, at which time an open alcoholic beverage container was noticed. The passenger advised that the alcohol belonged to him. Citations were issued to both subjects; the driver for damage to public lands and the passenger for open container.

Officer Morales was approached by a St. Marks Refuge employee who advised that a State Park employee was being harassed by a patron to the park. Officer Morales followed up the investigation with the assistance of Officers Carr and Hughes. The patron was located and issued a trespass warning for the park as requested by the park manager.

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

LEON COUNTY

Officer Johnson and Lieutenant Wass de Czege participated in the “Annual Kids Fishing Day” at Alfred B. Maclay State Park. They talked to the participants about fish identification and rules and regulations before they headed off to fish. The officers also helped award certificates and prizes for the biggest fish, smallest fish, and most fish caught. Approximately 150 people attended the event.

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