FWC Law Enforcement Weekly Report July 26, 2019 through August 1, 2019

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Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Division of Law Enforcement Weekly Report

Patrol, Protect, Preserve

July 26, 2019 through August 1, 2019

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.

NORTHWEST REGION

CASES

BAY COUNTY

Officers N. Basford and Brady were on water patrol when they saw a vessel entering Grand Lagoon from the Panama City Pass. The officers stopped the vessel to conduct a marine fisheries inspection. During their inspection the operator showed signs of impairment. The officers administered field sobriety tasks and arrested the operator for boating under the influence and cited him for refusing to provide a breath sample. The operator was transported to the Bay County Jail.

Officer N. Basford was working in St. Andrews State Park when she saw a truck driving fast and fail to stop at a stop sign. She conducted a vehicle stop to address the violation. The operator had never owned a driver license. He had an infant in the truck that was not buckled into a child restraint device. The operator was cited for driving without a driver license and for failing to utilize a child restraint device. He was also issued warnings for failing to stop at the stop sign and excessive speed.

Officers N. Basford, Rice and Brady received reports of several individuals who were camping in a non-designated area in Pine Log State Forest. The officers arrived at the location where there were two individuals at the camp. Numerous illegal drugs and paraphernalia were located, including 19.9 grams of marijuana and 5.4 grams of crystal meth. One subject was arrested and booked into Bay County Jail for possession of crystal meth, possession of marijuana under 20 grams, giving false name to law enforcement and possession of drug paraphernalia. The subject also had an active arrest warrant for violation of probation and received two citations for violations of rules pertaining to State Forest.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY

Officer Specialist Clark was on patrol when he attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle for careless driving. The vehicle’s driver did not stop and continued to drive at a high rate of speed through residential neighborhoods. He stopped pursuing but continued to search for the vehicle. Officer Long assisted with the search and while driving through the neighborhood, located a vehicle fitting the description of the vehicle that fled. Officer Clark arrived on scene and confirmed it was the vehicle in question. A neighbor told Officer Long that the person driving the vehicle drove through the neighborhood at a high rate of speed, parked and ran inside the house. Officers tried to contact the driver but he would not answer the door. The driver was identified through arrest net and confirmed by the neighbor and Officer Clark as the subject. The vehicle was towed, and a warrant activated for Flee/Elude Officer /Disregard Safety of Others, a second-degree felony. Bond was set at $25,000.

Officer Specialist’s Clark, Cushing, Corbin, Investigator Pifer, Officer’s Long, Lugg and Wilkenson participated in a Targeted Enforcement Action for boating under the influence in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. The enforcement effort lasted two days and officers checked over 65 vessels and contacted more than 168 users. The results of the TEA included 20 boating safety warnings, four resource warnings, 19 uniform boating citations, six resource citations, two BUI arrests, seven misdemeanor arrests and one search and rescue.

Officer Long and Officer Specialist Clark were conducting resource and license checks at the NAS Pensacola East seawall. One dead undersized Spanish mackerel was found in a bucket and four undersized and mutilated Spanish mackerel were discovered in a crab trap while inspecting the catch of two individuals. The largest of the catch measured seven inches long. The subjects admitted to using the mackerel as bait and stated that they were unaware that they were committing a crime. The individuals were educated on current regulations and cited accordingly with a misdemeanor citation for possession of undersized Spanish mackerel and a warning for not landing their catch in whole condition.

Officer Long, Officer Specialist Clark, and Investigator Pifer observed a vessel actively engaged in fishing on the Northeast side of the Three Mile Bridge channel. They conducted a resource and safety inspection and Officer Long discovered an undersized and mutilated spanish mackerel. The fish was missing the tail portion, and the captain of the vessel admitted to using the mackerel as bait. Current Florida law requires regulated fish to be landed in whole condition. The captain was cited accordingly.

Officers Corbin and Cushing were on patrol in Bayou Chico when they saw a vessel with fishing equipment displayed. A vessel stop was conducted for a resource inspection. An undersized gag grouper and a triggerfish were in a fish box. The two subjects claimed responsibility for the violations and were issued citations accordingly.

Officers Corbin and Cushing were on water patrol when they saw a vessel returning to the Pensacola Pass with fishing equipment displayed. The vessel was a charter and a resource inspection was conducted. During the inspection two filets and three undersized vermillion snappers were located. The captain of the vessel stated the filets were from a triple tail. The captain of the vessel was issued a citation.

GULF COUNTY

Officer Specialist Webb was conducting dockside marine fisheries inspections in Port Saint Joe when he stopped a vessel returning from fishing inside St. Joe Bay. The operator admitted to catching spotted sea trout. An inspection revealed that he had a large zip lock bag full of trout fillets. He was cited for failure to land trout in whole condition and issued a warning for a boating safety violation.

Officer Specialists M. Webb and H. Webb were patrolling the Gulf of Mexico ensuring compliance with fisheries regulations and boating safety. They stopped an inbound vessel that was returning from fishing 12 miles out from Cape San Blas. An inspection revealed the operator had a 29-inch amberjack (5 inches short). He was cited for possession of out of season amberjack and warned for the undersize and no gulf reef fish permit.

OKALOOSA COUNTY

Officer Nichols responded to Eglin Range Road 234 to assist Eglin Range Patrol with a traffic stop. The subject was stopped for not wearing a seatbelt and use of a telecommunication device while driving. The subject did not own a driver license and did not have an Eglin recreational permit. While Eglin Range Patrol was conducting a search of the vehicle, they located a small clear bag containing a white substance. Field tests of the substance were positive for Methamphetamine. Officer Nichols booked the subject into the Okaloosa County Jail on possession of methamphetamine (.08 grams), no driver license and no Eglin recreation permit.

Officer Nichols responded to a litter complaint in Fort Walton Beach where someone had been dumping tires, construction debris and trash onto Eglin WMA property. Officer Nichols located the dump area behind a new construction site, took photos, and contacted Investigator Hughes. DEP Environmental Investigators were made aware of the situation. Officer Nichols forwarded the information, photos, and body cam videos of the incident to DEP Investigators for follow up.

Lieutenant Bartlett and Officers McVaney and Hilderbrand conducted a vessel stop on a rental PWC at Crab Island for violation of the idle speed zone. While conducting the boating safety inspection, the operator showed multiple signs of impairment and field sobriety tasks were conducted. The operator was arrested for BUI and refused to provide a breath sample. A citation was issued for violation of the speed zone and the operator was booked into the Okaloosa County Jail.

Officer Corbin responded to a possible boating accident where a sailboat broke anchor and drifted into a marina hitting two docked vessels. The owners of all three vessels were identified by the marina manager. An inspection of the vessels revealed no apparent damage and the sailboat was unoccupied when it broke anchor. The owner of the sailboat was issued a citation for the vessel being at risk of becoming derelict. The owner of one of the other vessels arrived and provided paperwork showing it was purchased in December of 2018 and had never been registered with the state. The owner of the vessel was issued a notice to appear citation for failure to register a documented vessel.

Officer Corbin and Investigator Pifer received information of subjects catching and keeping undersize Spanish mackerel and banded rudderfish from the Okaloosa Island Pier. Resource inspections were conducted on the pier and four subjects were found to be in possession of undersize Spanish mackerel and banded rudderfish. Appropriate citations were issued for the violations.

Officers Corbin, Long, and Wilkenson were on water patrol when they saw a vessel being operated without a registration decal or registration numbers. The vessel was also overloaded, with nine subjects on board while being rated for five. A vessel stop was conducted, and the owner of the vessel was unable to provide the registration certificate or the proper boating safety equipment. The owner of the vessel stated he had purchased the vessel in September of 2018 and had not transferred the title nor registered the vessel in his name. The owner of the vessel was issued a notice to appear citation for failure to transfer title/registration. The owner was also issued citations and warnings related to the registration and boating safety equipment.

Officers Corbin, Long, and Wilkenson were on water patrol when they conducted a vessel stop for a boating safety inspection. During the vessel stop the operator showed several signs of impairment and field sobriety tasks were conducted. The operator was arrested for BUI and provided two breath samples of .134 blood alcohol content and .144 blood alcohol content.

Officers Hahr and Swindell were on patrol when they were dispatched to a boating accident in the Destin Harbor. When they arrived on scene, they saw a broken skeg and damaged propeller on a docked pontoon boat. The operator of the other boat was maneuvering a large double decker pontoon boat in tight quarters near the docked boat when the accident occurred. When he bumped into the docked vessel, he hit the throttle instead of easing away and slid along the raised motor which caused the damage. The operator was cited for a violation of a navigational Rule 6 (safe speed).

Officers Swindell and Hahr were patrolling near Crab Island when they saw a boat coming directly at them and not changing course. A short distance away from them, the operator of the boat came to a complete stop as she looked at the officers. A few moments later, she turned hard to the right and continued around the officers and then hit the throttle in the no wake zone and sped up. The officers stopped the vessel and detected indicators of impairment from the operator. After conducting field sobriety tasks, she was arrested for BUI. A breath test indicated that the operator’s breath alcohol level was .097 blood alcohol content.

Officers Hahr and Swindell were patrolling in the Destin Harbor when they saw a vessel leaving Noriega Beach with two children onboard not wearing life jackets. They stopped the vessel and determined the operator didn’t have enough life jackets. During the stop, signs of impairment were displayed, and field sobriety tasks were conducted. The operator was placed under arrest for BUI and transported to the Okaloosa County Jail.

Officers Hahr and Wilkenson were patrolling in the Destin area when they saw the Destin Fire/Rescue boat bringing a patient into the Coast Guard Station. A 16-year-old girl had been struck by a personal watercraft. She was complaining of pain in her arm and was having trouble breathing. She was transported to the local hospital while the officers went to the scene of the accident. They located the livery that rented the PWCs and determined that the other parties involved had gone to the hospital. Officer Hahr arrived at the hospital and determined that the operator of one PWC’s was repeatedly spraying the 16-year-old and her passenger as he sped past her. On the last approach, the operator’s child passenger pulled the handlebars at the last moment, directing their PWC to strike the girl. The operator was issued a notice to appear for reckless operation.

Officers Hahr and Wilkenson were patrolling in the Destin area when they saw a vessel being operated without registration numbers. The officers stopped the vessel to address the violation and saw indicators that the operator may be impaired. Field sobriety tasks were conducted, and the operator was arrested for BUI. He refused to provide a breath sample and was transported to the Okaloosa County Jail.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Officer Mullins saw a subject fishing from the bank while on patrol on the Escambia River. The subject had multiple lines out for catfish. While checking the subject it was discovered that he was illegally using bream as bait on a bush hook line, failed to tag his line, and was fishing without a license. The subject was issued a notice to appear for the violations.

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING – EXPANDING PARTICIPATION IN CONSERVATION

Officers Lugg and Wilkenson canvassed a neighborhood in Gulf Breeze educating the residents on bears and informing them on the laws referencing attractants and bears. The officers visited approximately 100 homes speaking with residents and passing out educational material on living with bears in Florida. This effort will be followed up with law enforcement patrols of the neighborhood to ensure compliance with the law due to recent bear complaints.

WALTON COUNTY

Officer White checked two subjects fishing in Choctawhatchee Bay. A records check revealed one of the subjects had an active warrant from Ohio for grand theft. The subject was taken into custody and turned over to the Walton County Sheriff’s Department for extradition.    

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