FWC Law Enforcement Weekly Report July 27, 2018 through August 2, 2018

(Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.) FWC   Division of Law Enforcement Weekly Report July 27, 2018 through August 2, 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 BAY COUNTY Officers Hayes and Scott were on vessel patrol in St. Andrews Bay when they checked a vessel coming in from offshore. The officers found that the operator was in possession of three undersized triggerfish during the closed season. Citations were issued for the violations. JACKSON COUNTY Lieutenant Allen was on patrol near a landowner’s cornfield when he heard a shot from the roadway at the other end of the field. He headed toward the sound of the shot and as he neared the road, he saw an 8-point buck running from the direction where the shot was heard. Once Lieutenant Allen reached the roadway, he saw a truck driving very slowly. He contacted the driver who said, “I just shot at a deer.” Officer Little responded to assist. The officers interviewed the driver who stated he was driving down the road when he saw the deer, pulled out his pistol and shot at it. The officers seized a .380 pistol and cited the subject with attempting to take deer during the closed season and road hunting. OKALOOSA COUNTY Officer Clark and Investigator Molnar conducted a vessel stop on the east side of Crab Island for violation of the idle speed zone. When the officers made contact, the operator stated he consumed 12 beers throughout the day. The operator agreed to perform field sobriety tasks and at the conclusion of the tasks, Investigator Molnar arrested the operator for BUI. The operator was booked into the Okaloosa County Jail. He was also issued citations for refusal to submit a breath sample, insufficient number of PDF’s and violation of the idle speed zone. FWC received a complaint from Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office regarding an individual in violation of Destin Executive Airport’s airspace near Henderson Beach State Park. Officer Wilkenson and Okaloosa County deputies responded. It was determined an individual in the park had launched and landed his power paraglider from within the state park. The individual was cited for the state park violation of launching/landing an aircraft in a state park. Destin Executive Airport tower was also provided the subject’s information for possible FAA violations. Officers Pifer and Brooks were on vessel patrol when they were notified by FWC dispatch of a hit and run boating accident in the Destin Pass near Norriego Point. The officers located the victim vessel/operator who provided a picture of the vessel/operator who struck him. The registration on the suspect vessel returned to a livery in the Destin Harbor. The officers contacted the employees of the livery who advised the operator returned the personal watercraft (PWC) and left. The employees advised the operator did not mention being in an accident. A large crack in the hull of the PWC was located and an employee called the operator and instructed him to return to the livery because of the damage. When the operator returned, he denied striking another vessel but stated he hit some rocks. The operator of the victim vessel provided a name and phone number for a Destin lifeguard who witnessed the accident. The lifeguard was contacted who later provided a written statement, which was consistent with the victim’s statement. Based on all information gathered, the operator of the at fault vessel was cited for leaving the scene of an accident. Officers Pifer and Clark were on vessel patrol when they saw a vessel traveling on plane in the idle speed zone across the north channel and failing to give way to vessels traveling within the channel. The vessel nearly caused a collision with a center console vessel. The officers initiated a vessel stop to address the violations. During a boating safety inspection, the operator showed signs of impairment and Officer Clark administered standardized field sobriety tasks. While the operator was boarding the officer’s vessel, the operator attempted to use a styrofoam cooler as a step crushing the cooler lid. Based on observations of the vessel in motion, personal contact with the operator, and the operator’s performance on the sobriety tasks, the operator was placed under arrest for BUI. The operator agreed to provide a breath sample and the results were 0.155 blood alcohol content and 0.154 blood alcohol content. Officers Corbin and Long were on vessel patrol at Crab Island conducting boating safety and resource inspections. The officers saw a vessel leave Crab Island which had its motor trimmed up and was being operated in circles. The officers stopped the vessel to conduct a boating safety inspection and ensure the vessel was in good operating condition. As the officers pulled alongside, they advised the operator to put his vessel in neutral. He was slow to respond both vocally and physically. The operator turned to look in the officer’s direction, turned away to avoid eye contact, and continued operating the vessel in a circle. Again, the operator was instructed to place the vessel in neutral and he complied. The operator continued to avoid eye contact with the officers. During the safety inspections, Officer Corbin saw signs of impairment from the operator. The operator agreed to perform field sobriety tasks. Based on the operation of the vessel and the field sobriety tasks, the operator was arrested for BUI. The operator provided a breath sample, resulting in 0.149 blood alcohol content and 0.150 blood alcohol content. The operator was transported to the Okaloosa County Jail. Officers Corbin and Pifer were on water patrol at Crab Island in Destin conducting boating safety and resource inspections. The officers saw a vessel traveling toward Crab Island with eight individuals on board. All eight subjects appeared to be under the age of 30, including the operator, which would require one of them to have a boater education card. A vessel stop was conducted to check for a boater’s education card and to conduct a boating safety inspection. When the operator was asked if he possessed a boater’s education card, he stated no. The boating safety inspection revealed that the vessel had an insufficient number of life jackets. Also, alcoholic beverage (beer) was on board the vessel and all individuals were under the age of 21. The operator and a passenger were cited and issued a notice to appear citation for possession of alcohol (under 21). Also, the operator was issued a citation for insufficient number of life jackets. Officer Wilkenson responded to a complaint involving two unidentified individuals spearfishing under the dock at Marler Park on Okaloosa Island. The complainant stated that he saw the subjects spear several blue crabs and had a stone crab in their possession. After arriving, Officer Wilkenson saw several individuals at a picnic table who were wet and wearing swimming attire. There were two sets of masks on the table along with two homemade spears. There was also a cooler near the picnic table. The officer asked the group if anybody been fishing and they said yes. Upon consent to inspect the cooler/catch, it was determined that all six blue crabs were speared, one of which was an egg-bearing female. The stone crab’s claws were detached, and the body was also kept. The stone crab was also determined to be an egg-bearing female. One individual was cited and issued a notice to appear citation for possession of whole stone crabs, harvesting stone crab out of season, and a written warning for removing stone crab claws from an egg-bearing female. The second individual was issued a notice to appear citation for the use of illegal gear (spearing) to harvest blue crabs and for the harvest and possession of an egg-bearing female blue crab. Officer Pifer conducted a saltwater fisheries and license inspection on a charter fishing vessel that returned to the Destin Harbor. The fisheries inspection revealed six spotted seatrout and one redfish in a fish box. All six-spotted seatrout measured over 20 inches in total length. Each harvester can possess one spotted seatrout over 20 inches. The officer determined there were three paying customers on the fishing trip. The charter boat captain was issued a resource citation for harvesting/possessing over the allowed limit of spotted seatrout over 20 inches in total length. Officers Corbin and Long were on vessel patrol in the Destin Pass conducting boating safety and resource inspections. The officers saw a vessel returning from offshore into the Destin Pass with fishing equipment displayed and conducted a vessel stop to perform a resource inspection. Officer Corbin asked the operator if they caught any fish. The operator said yes and the fisheries inspection revealed two gray triggerfish were harvested. The operator was cited and issued a notice to appear citation for possession of gray triggerfish out of season. Officer Maltais was at a local marina and saw a boat return to the dock. The officer saw two male individuals carrying a silver metal cooler from the vessel. Officer Maltais approached the men and asked if they had returned from fishing and they said yes. With consent Officer Maltais lifted the lid and found the contents to be a plastic grocery shopping bag filled with unidentified fish, vermilion snapper and one spade fish, and a layer of ice cubes at the cooler bottom. The officer asked if there were any other fish and both individuals pointed back to the vessel. He located and opened a bag to find six undersized red snapper. The operator was issued a notice to appear citation for possession of red snapper during closed season. Officer Jarvis was on vessel patrol in the Destin Pass when he saw an Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputy on vessel patrol at the East Jetty. Officer Jarvis saw three males exiting the water with snorkel equipment and climbing up on the jetties. The deputy told Officer Jarvis he just saw all three males spearfishing in the water at the East Jetty. The three males, along with their dive gear and spears, were being detained on the beach by another Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputy. Officer Jarvis determined that one of the individuals was using a five-pronged gig as his spear and the other two were using Hawaiian slings (spears). All three subjects did not have a saltwater fishing license and did not display the required diver’s down flag. All three subjects were cited for no fishing license and spearfishing near a jetty. Spearfishing within 100 feet of a jetty less than 1500 yards long from shore is prohibited. SANTA ROSA COUNTY Officer Ramos saw a man fishing along the Santa Rosa Sound in Navarre. Officer Ramos saw the subject place something inside his vehicle and then returned to fishing. Officer Ramos conducted a resource inspection, but the man only had a bag of hermit crabs with him. When asked if he had anything in his vehicle, the man said yes and showed the officer some legal fish in a cooler inside his SUV. Officer Ramos saw the edge of a plastic bag protruding from under a blanket inside the subject’s vehicle. When Officer Ramos asked what was in the bag the man removed the blanket and several crabs were located, including stone crab. Officer Ramos issued the subject a citation for the taking or possession of stone crab during the closed season. Officers Lewis, Ramos, and Roberson assisted the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office with an aggravated assault that occurred inside Blackwater State Park. Two park patrons got into an argument and one pulled out a pistol and fired a bullet into the ground. The officers assisted in the investigation by collecting evidence and statements from witnesses of the crime. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office arrested the subject after the investigation. Officer Hutchinson and K9 Zara responded to a request for help from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office (SRSO) regarding tracking a suspect who ran from a stolen vehicle when deputies attempted to pull it over. Officer Hutchinson helped track the suspect to a residence where the suspect was seen by a citizen leaving the area on foot. Officer Hutchinson and another deputy apprehended the suspect and he was placed under arrest by the SRSO deputy. WAKULLA COUNTY Officers Swindell, Hughes and Korade were on water patrol near St. Marks when they saw a vessel returning from fishing offshore. They stopped the vessel and the operator said they had caught a lot of fish and pointed out the compartment where they were located. An inspection of the compartment revealed a total of 50 black sea bass, 46 of which were undersized. The officers also located two undersized gag grouper and one undersized red grouper in the compartment. Officer Hughes also located a bucket near the back of the vessel which contained a shark that had been filleted for bait. All the undersized fish and the shark were seized, and the occupants of the vessel were issued citations for the violations.

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