FWC Law Enforcement Weekly Report September 7, 2018 through September 20, 2018

(Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.) FWC   Division of Law Enforcement Weekly Report September 7, 2018 through September 20, 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 Officer Alsobrooks received a phone call regarding two subjects picking saw palmetto berries on private property adjacent to US Highway 98 in Panama City Beach. He arrived on scene and contacted the two subjects. They did not have written permission from the landowner to be on the property and did not have the required permit to harvest saw palmetto berries. They were in possession of three bags of berries with an estimated weight of 200 pounds. Both subjects were issued warnings for not possessing written permission from the landowner and one of the subjects was issued a citation for the permit violation. Officer Brady and Reserve Officer Chesser were on water patrol in East Bay when they conducted a safety inspection on a rental pontoon vessel. During the inspection, the officers located multiple bags of palmetto berries in the vessel. The four occupants were charged appropriately for not having permits to possess the berries. The berries were returned to the habitat. Lieutenant Allen was on patrol in Econfina Creek Wildlife Management Area when he noticed several individuals consuming alcohol at Wiliford Spring. Consumption of alcohol is prohibited on the management area. While issuing citations for the alcohol violations, Lieutenant Allen obtained consent to search a backpack belonging to one of the individuals. During the search, Lieutenant Allen found a small metal box which contained several straws and three small bags of a white powdery substance. The substance field tested positive for cocaine. The owner of the backpack took responsibility for the drugs and was arrested and booked into the Washington County Jail. Officer Basford was working plain clothes when he saw an individual wade fishing in East Bay. As he was watching the individual, he saw him keep what appeared to be two redfish. One of the fish appeared to be oversized. Once the individual returned to shore, Officer Basford identified himself and conducted a resource inspection. During the inspection, Officer Basford found the individual in possession of two redfish, one of which was oversized. The individual was issued a citation for possession of oversized redfish as well as a warning for over the bag limit of redfish and for no saltwater fishing license. The oversized fish was returned to the water. ESCAMBIA COUNTY Officers Manning and Allgood patrolled offshore concentrating on fisheries enforcement utilizing the newly arrived Safe Boat in Pensacola. They found occupants from five different vessels in violation of federal fisheries regulations. Five federal citations were issued for charges including possession of triggerfish during closed season and for possession of red snapper in a closed season. The officers also charged one vessel operator with interference with an FWC officer for attempting to throw illegally harvested triggerfish and red snapper overboard. Officer Allgood assisted FWC captive wildlife investigators with a subject who was attempting to keep a whitetail deer as a pet. Officer Allgood issued a citation to the subject who was keeping the deer in an enclosure. The individual had previously applied for a permit but was denied. JACKSON COUNTY Officer Little pulled up to a boat ramp along Merritt’s Mill Pond as a boat was approaching the ramp shining a spotlight. When the vessel operator saw Officer Little, he turned the vessel around and began heading back out to the lake. Officer Little initiated his patrol vehicle’s emergency lights and gave several commands for the vessel operator to come to shore. The vessel operator stated he did not want to be checked and left the area. A truck arrived at the ramp with an empty boat trailer. The truck operator stated he was there to pick up his friend and load a boat that was left at his residence. Officer Little followed the truck to the residence in question where he found the vessel moored to a dock. Inside the vessel was a wallet, keys and cell phone. Approximately 30 minutes later, the vessel operator emerged from a nearby wooded area. After reviewing the case with the Assistant State Attorney, charges of fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer by vessel and obstruction of an FWC officer were direct filed. Officer Little located three suspects trespassing on a landowner’s property. At the landowner’s request, all three suspects were cited for trespass. Officers Hayes and Gerber were on night vessel patrol on the Apalachicola River when they saw a vessel at the shore with four subjects standing next to the vessel. One of the subjects was holding a cast net. When the officers arrived, the subject dropped the cast net. The officers found 25 bream and two crappie inside a live well. None of the fish had hook marks and they had missing scales indicating they had been caught in the cast net. The officers found the wet cast net in a bucket with one hybrid bass in the net. One of the subjects admitted to catching all the fish with the cast net. One count of taking game fish by an illegal method was direct filed through the State Attorney’s Office. OKALOOSA COUNTY Officer Bartlett and Investigator Molnar were on vessel patrol at Crab Island. The officers conducted a vessel stop on two personal watercraft (PWC) for violating the idle speed/no wake zone near the Destin Marler Bridge. One of the PWCs was being operated by a 14-year-old who failed to carry the temporary boater safety card. After the vessel inspection, Investigator Molnar conducted a livery inspection of the rental company who rented the PWC. Investigator Molnar determined the livery was in violation of the FWC temporary certificate program for contractors. Officer Pifer was on land patrol when he conducted a saltwater license inspection of an individual who had just concluded fishing and was walking back to his vehicle. The individual told the officer his license was in his vehicle and Officer Pifer followed the individual to his van. The individual produced a valid license and when asked stated there were coolers in his van which contained fish. An inspection of the coolers revealed multiple species of regulated fish inside. Officer Pifer’s inspection revealed a total of eight redfish, two of which were oversized, and an undersized Spanish mackerel. The individual stated he was in town for ten days and only caught one redfish a day. Redfish has an off the water transportation limit of six. The individual’s information was checked through FWC dispatch who advised the individual had an active arrest warrant for larceny out of Okaloosa County. Officer Pifer placed the individual under arrest and booked him into the Okaloosa County Jail for the active warrant. The individual was additionally cited for possession of oversized redfish, over the transportation limit of redfish, and undersized Spanish mackerel. Officer Pifer was dispatched to the Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier regarding individuals harvesting undersized pompano. Once on the pier, Officer Pifer located the group described by the complainant. A resource inspection of their cooler revealed one pompano inside which was under the 11-inch size limit. The owner of the cooler was identified. The individual was cited for possession of undersized pompano. While investigating this complaint, Officer Pifer conducted a resource inspection of another cooler on the pier which contained three bluefish under the 12-inch size limit. The owner was identified and cited for possession of undersized bluefish. Officer Corbin was on land patrol at the Cinco Bayou Boat Ramp conducting boating safety and resource inspections. The officer saw four kayaks returning to the boat ramp with rods and reels and coolers displayed. Officer Corbin asked if they had caught any fish, to which one of the boaters responded yes. Upon inspection of the cooler, Officer Corbin saw an undersized red drum. The operator was issued a notice to appear citation. Officer Corbin was dispatched to a complaint regarding an individual keeping undersized pompano on the Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier. Based on the description received from the complainant, Officer Corbin located the individual leaving the pier pulling a blue cooler and holding fishing rods. With consent, the officer inspected the contents of the cooler and saw several unregulated species of fish and one pompano. The pompano measured nine inches in total length. The legal size is 11 inches or greater. The individual was issued a notice to appear citation. Officer Corbin was on foot patrol at the Okaloosa Island Pier in Fort Walton Beach. The officer saw an individual sitting in a chair, with fishing poles in front of him and lines in the water, right next to a cooler. In conversation with the individual, the subject stated he had caught some fish. The officer’s inspection of the cooler revealed two undersized pompano with a fork length of 7 ¾ inches. The individual was issued a notice to appear citation. Officer Corbin saw an individual sitting on the seawall behind Mariner Plaza with two fishing poles in front of him with the lines in the water. During a fisheries/license inspection, the Tallahassee Regional Communication Center confirmed there was an active warrant out of Okaloosa County. Further, there was another warrant (non-extraditable) out of Palatka. The individual was arrested and transported to the Okaloosa County Jail. WALTON COUNTY Officer Brooks stopped a vessel returning from fishing on Black Creek for operating after sunset with no operational navigational lights. A fishery inspection revealed the subjects were over the daily bag limit of redfish. One of the occupants admitted to catching the fish and was cited for possession of over the daily bag limit of redfish. Officer Tison identified three subjects who exited Grayton Beach State Park after harvesting saw palmetto berries. The subjects were in violation of harvesting berries in the state park and they did not have a permit as required from the Department of Agriculture. The subjects were cited for the state park and permit violations. FRANKLIN COUNTY Officer Sauls was on patrol in the Eastpoint area targeting illegal harvest of undersized oysters. She stopped a vessel returning from harvesting oysters to conduct a resource inspection. Officer Sauls inspected a bag of oysters and after counting and measuring each oyster, she determined it contained 46% undersized oysters. The subject was cited, and the undersized oysters were returned to the bay alive. JEFFERSON COUNTY Officer Specialist Anderson saw a vehicle parked in Aucilla Wildlife Management Area in the Western Sloughs. He deployed K-9 Scout around the vehicle and located a crossbow arrow that appeared to have fallen from the subject’s crossbow that morning. He deployed K-9 Scout, who tracked the subject approximately 250 yards through a swamp to the subject’s tripod stand. Once Officer Anderson located the subject, he identified himself as an FWC officer and instructed the subject to come down from his stand. When the subject came down, Officer Anderson saw a firearm on his side. A check through dispatch revealed the subject had seven prior felony convictions. Officer Anderson canvased the area for possible bait and located an area where a mineral block and milo was scattered, approximately 25 yards away from the subject’s stand. Also, around the stand were several items of trash that the subject admitted discarding in past hunting seasons. A rotation wrecker was requested. Officer Wilcox and Lieutenant Kilpatrick arrived to assist. Officer Wilcox photographed evidence (crossbow, bait, and a firearm) and Lieutenant Kilpatrick took inventory of the subject’s vehicle. The subject was booked into the Jefferson County Jail and was cited for possession of firearm by convicted felon, hunting with a crossbow during archery season, placing bait in a management area, and littering. SANTA ROSA COUNTY Officers Hoomes, Roberson, Ramos, Hutchison and Pilot Tolbert have been working a ring of illegal palmetto berry pickers on Eglin Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The officers found evidence of the illegal activity and caught up with four subjects who had picked over 600 pounds of palmetto berries from Eglin WMA. All four subjects were cited for 13 misdemeanors which included harvesting live plants from a management area, entering a closed area, and no Department of Defense permit. One subject, who fled but was later located, was cited for resisting arrest without violence. WASHINGTON COUNTY Officers Hellett and Gore saw a vehicle traveling in the Econfina Creek Wildlife Management Area. After following the vehicle for a short distance, the officers conducted a traffic stop to check the driver for impairment as the vehicle was being operated carelessly and weaving. Upon stopping the vehicle, the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was detected, and the subject did poorly on field sobriety tasks. He admitted to drinking a few beers and was arrested for DUI and transported to the Washington County Jail. FEDERAL WATERS While aboard the Offshore Patrol Vessel “Vigilance,” Officers Rockwell, Matechik, and Pifer saw a kayak fishing in waters south of Grayton Beach. Upon contacting the subject and performing a resource inspection, he was found to be in possession of undersized triple tail. The appropriate action was taken to address the violation. While aboard the Offshore Patrol Vessel “Vigilance,” Officers Rockwell and Matechik were conducting federal fisheries patrols south of Santa Rosa County. They saw a charter fishing vessel relocating to another location. Upon boarding the vessel to conduct a resource inspection, they found a cooler that contained a gray triggerfish. Gray triggerfish is closed to harvest in federal waters. The appropriate action was taken to address the violation. While aboard the Offshore Patrol Vessel “Vigilance,” Officers Rockwell and Matechik were conducting federal fisheries patrols south of Destin Pass. They saw a fishing vessel with four subjects on board actively bottom fishing. Upon boarding the vessel to conduct a resource inspection, it was found that there were four gray triggerfish on board. Harvest of gray triggerfish is closed in federal waters. Furthermore, all four of the fish were below the 15-inch minimum size limit. The appropriate action was taken to address the violations. While aboard the Offshore Patrol Vessel “Vigilance,” Officers Rockwell and Matechik were conducting federal fisheries patrols south of Destin. They saw a center console fishing boat with four subjects on board. After boarding the vessel to conduct a resource inspection, the officer was told that they were not having much luck fishing. Inside the cooler were two out of season gray triggerfish. The appropriate action was taken to address the violations. While aboard the Offshore Patrol Vessel “Vigilance,” Officers Rockwell, Matechik, and Pifer were conducting federal fisheries patrols south of Panama City. They saw a vessel with two subjects on board fishing. As they approached, the vessel got on plane and maneuvered in a northerly direction. Upon stopping the vessel, they saw fishing equipment and blood visible on the boat. The officers boarded the vessel to conduct a resource inspection and found one gray triggerfish and 23 vermillion snapper. Gray triggerfish is closed to harvest in federal waters and the bag limit for vermillion snapper is ten per person. Additionally, there were undersized vermillion snapper. The appropriate actions were taken to address the violations. While aboard the Offshore Patrol Vessel “Vigilance,” Officers Rockwell, Matechik, and Pifer were conducting federal fisheries patrols south of Panama City. They saw a small cabin fishing vessel with two subjects on board. Upon boarding the vessel to conduct a resource inspection, the officers located gray triggerfish in the cooler. Gray triggerfish is closed to harvest in federal waters. The appropriate action was taken to address the violation. RESCUES LEON COUNTY Leon County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search for a missing FSU student in the eastern portion of the county. On Sunday, Officers Anderson, Wilcox and Brookes joined the search along with Lieutenants Wass de Czege and Field. Officer Brookes searched along the western shoreline of Lake Miccosukee in an airboat. Officers Anderson and Wilcox and Lieutenant Wass de Czege focused their efforts in a different location further from the lake. Officer Anderson was on his ATV searching in a low-lying area several hundred yards away from other search teams when he located the subject. Officer Anderson was able to get the student onto his ATV and get him back to an assembly area where he was taken to the hospital for medical evaluation. The student had been missing for three nights. WALTON COUNTY Officers White and Maltais searched for and located a stranded boater in Choctawhatchee Bay after his family reported he was hours overdue. The subject was stranded in the bay due to mechanical failure and was accompanied safely back to shore. COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING HOLMES COUNTY Officer Yates, with assistance from Officers Homan, Parrish, Greene, and Lieutenant Walsingham participated in the Holmes County Outdoor Expo. A booth with informational materials and a vehicle/vessel static display generated a lot of public interest, which included questions and comments, meeting new landowners, and recruitment. Approximately 700 people attended the two-day event.

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