FWC
DIVISION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
WEEKLY REPORT
January 13 – 19, 2012
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
FRANKLIN COUNTY
In the early morning
hours, Officers Percy Cook and Carmon Brownell conducted a search of
Tate’s Hell Wildlife Management Area to locate five individuals that
became stranded when their vehicle became stuck in
a ditch. The officers located the vehicle on River Road, north of Double
Bridge Road. The occupants were uninjured, but were wet and cold due to
walking in the rain while attempting to gain cell phone service to
summon aid.
Officers Percy Cook and
Carmon Brownell conducted decoy deer operations in the Tate’s Hell
Wildlife Management Area to address complaints of hunters illegally
harvesting whitetail deer that did not meet the forked
antler requirement for the management area. During the detail, two
hunters attempted to harvest an illegal deer. Both hunters were charged
with the misdemeanor violation.
OKALOOSA COUNTY
Officer Pete Rockwell and
Lt. Keith Clark responded to a complaint involving two hunters
trespassing on private land. A description of the hunters was
provided. Upon arrival, Officer Rockwell observed a vehicle
exiting the area and containing two occupants wearing hunter orange. The
occupants matched the description of the trespassers. Through
conversation with the individuals, Officer Rockwell determined they were
hunting in the area of the complaint. Officer Rockwell
observed the driver in possession of a pistol in a holster on his right
hip, concealed under his camouflage coat. Officer Rockwell and FWC
Dispatch determined the driver was a convicted felon out of Georgia.
Officer Rockwell seized two rifles, pistol, and ammunition
from the driver. Officer Rockwell will confirm with Georgia’s Clemency
Board if the driver’s rights have been restored. The investigation is
ongoing and charges are pending.
Washington County
Officer Lane Kinney
worked with Investigations after receiving information regarding the
illegal taking of a doe deer. A Cottondale couple was issued citations
for taking an antlerless deer during closed season,
and written warnings were issued for no hunting licenses and taking
deer by using a rim fire rifle.
Officer Lane Kinney
worked a trespass complaint that occurred near Chipley. An individual
was issued citations for trespass (after warning), taking over the daily
bag limit of antlerless deer, no hunting license,
and no deer permit.
Officer Kathy Jackson was
on patrol in the Orange Hill area when she observed individuals hunting
ducks after legal shooting hours. Two subjects received citations for
taking or attempting to take ducks after legal
shooting hours. One received a written warning and a juvenile was
verbally warned.
Holmes County
Officers Kathy Jackson
and Warren Walsingham responded to a night hunting complaint on Yancy
Road where a doe deer was shot. The investigation revealed four
individuals had been driving around and dropping others
off to hunt at night. The four were charged after returning to the area
to pick up the deer and hunters. Twelve charges were levied to include
taking deer at night, shooting from the roadway, trespassing, and
possession of cannabis. Interviews led to confessions
of at least three other deer being illegally taken in the area over the
last month. Further charges are pending.
Jackson County
K-9 Officer Mike Guy and
Lt. Mark Clements were on patrol when they received a road hunting
complaint near Graceville. The complainants advised they heard a shot
from the roadway and saw a vehicle they recognized
leaving the area immediately following the shot. They also reported
seeing the vehicle return a short time later. Officer Guy and Lieutenant
Clements located fresh blood on the right-of-way and some drag sign
coming from a fresh clear-cut area. They found evidence
where the deer had been shot approximately 40 yards inside the property.
After collecting evidence, the officers went to the residence of the
person identified as the owner of the vehicle seen in the area. Two
subjects subsequently admitted to killing a doe
deer from the roadway on the complainant’s property. Freshly cleaned
deer meat was located in several coolers in the back of the truck. It
was determined that the two subjects had actually killed two deer with
one shotgun blast. An illegal doe and a small yearling
were identified. Appropriate citations were filed with the State
Attorney’s Office.
K-9 Officer Mike Guy was
called to assist the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office after an armed
robbery and attempted murder was committed at a liquor store
in Marianna. The suspect was tracked and arrested approximately
a mile from his mother’s house by Department of Corrections K-9 teams.
At that time, K-9 Officer Guy deployed K-9 Jake to retrace the track in
search of the firearm which the subject discarded somewhere between the
liquor store and his mother’s house. After
several minutes, K-9 Jake and Officer Guy located the firearm under a
shed in the back yard of the residence.
Calhoun County
Officer Scott Cassels
received a trespassing complaint from a hunt club representative who
advised that an individual had been seen hunting on the private
property. The officer made contact with the suspect, who
was staying on a nearby houseboat along the Apalachicola River. A
consented search revealed a scoped rifle inside the houseboat.
Interviews confirmed the individual had been hunting in the area. The
lease representative positively identified the individual
as the person hunting on the property. It was also determined that the
individual was a convicted felon and did not have a hunting license.
Charges are being filed for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
and armed trespassing.
BAY COUNTY
Officers Jim Moore, Nick
Price, and David Brady checked an oyster harvester who received a
citation for undersized oysters (45%) the previous week. The harvester
was once again cited for undersized oysters. The
bag of oysters measured 37% undersized, which is 32% over the allowable
limit of 5%.
Officer Joe Chambers
responded to a trespass complaint regarding a subject armed with a rifle
who entered property at a “No Trespassing” sign. K-9 Officer Mike Guy
was contacted and assisted by K-9 Jake. While
conducting the track, a truck occupied by four subjects was found on the
property. Warnings were issued for trespass, but all received citations
for possession of cannabis and drug paraphernalia.
Officer Joe Chambers was
on patrol in the Pine Log State Forest Wildlife Management Area. Upon
pulling into a primitive campsite, he observed numerous campers
scrambling around and hiding items. Officer Chambers
exited his truck, detected a strong aroma of burnt cannabis, and noted
evidence of alcohol around the campsite. Officer Chambers spoke with the
campers; two retrieved a partially smoked cannabis cigarette, a
container of cannabis, and a glass pipe with cannabis
residue. The two subjects were cited for possession of less than 20
grams of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia. They were also
issued written warnings for the alcohol violation.
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