FWC
Division of Law Enforcement
Weekly Report
January 3-January 9, 2014
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
OKALOOSA COUNTY
Lieutenant Hollinhead and Officer Rockwell responded to the Shoal River to check on a report of a vehicle with occupants that had run off the road into the river. Upon arrival, the officers found the vehicle had entered the water at the Ray Lynn Barnes Boat Ramp and floated down river several hundred yards before submerging. The officers confirmed no occupants were in the vehicle and it was removed several days later.
Lieutenant Hollinhead, Officers Jones, Nichols, and Molnar responded to a hunting incident in the Santa Rosa Sound. When the officers arrived, they learned that a hunter had been shot in the head by another hunter while duck hunting. The investigation revealed the subjects were hunting together from an island and the incident occurred when one of the hunters attempted to shoot at ducks. The victim was flown to a Pensacola Hospital where he was treated and released the next day.
CALHOUN COUNTY
While in a surveillance position in the early morning hours, Officer Cassels observed a vehicle displaying a spotlight into a harvested cotton field from Clark Hill Road. After observing the vehicle long enough to determine a violation may have occurred, he conducted a vehicle stop. The vehicle was occupied by two individuals who had a high-powered rifle on the front seat between them. One subject was taken into custody and, after a brief struggle, the second subject was taken into custody as well. A search incident to arrest revealed both subjects were in possession of narcotics or narcotic paraphernalia. Both subjects were charged with attempting to take deer at night. One subject was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and the other was charged with resisting arrest and possession of methamphetamine. Both were booked into the Calhoun County Jail.
GADSDEN COUNTY
Officer Bell observed an individual taking ducks by illegal method in the Little River area of Lake Talquin. The subject was shooting at waterfowl while the boat was under power and was cited for the violation.
FRANKLIN COUNTY
Officer Bunker, Lieutenants Pearce and Wood, and Park Manager Allen participated in a search and assist off the coast of Alligator Point. Officer Bunker was on routine patrol in the area when he spotted a low-flying plane just south of Alligator Point. Upon further investigation, Officer Bunker learned the plane was the U. S. Coast Guard (USCG) attempting to guide a distressed vessel into Alligator Harbor. The vessel was a 43‑foot Hatteras with reports of an inexperienced Captain. The Hatteras lost an engine during transit, was very low on fuel, and about to run aground. Officer Bunker received a call from the USCG asking to respond by vessel to assist as no other assets were available. Due to winter storm conditions and record low tides, attempts at launching a readily accessible Pathfinder were unsuccessful. Lieutenants Pearce and Wood and Officer Bunker launched a larger vessel from a protected boat ramp. The Officers made contact with the vessel with assistance from USCG aircraft. The operation was successful and the distressed vessel was guided back into a protected marina. Park Manager Allen and the USCG proved to be instrumental in the operation.
Officer Allen was on land patrol in St. George Island State Park at the Scout Camp Boat Ramp. He observed three individuals loading bags of oysters into the back of a pickup truck. The three subjects were identified when a resource inspection was conducted. There were five bags of oysters untagged and unshaded in the back of the pickup and one bag left in the marsh behind the truck, for a total of six bags of oysters. All three individuals stated that someone else had harvested the oysters the afternoon before but left them in the marsh overnight and then told the three defendants where they were and they could haul them out. The three men stated that they were just recreational fishing for the day and not intending to sell the oysters that they had with them. A size tolerance inspection of one bag of oysters showed 94% undersized. There was also a significant amount of bedding shell present in the bag. With the amount of undersized oysters, clusters and bedding shell, the oysters were also unculled. Citations were issued for possession of undersized oysters and possession of unculled oysters. The bags of oysters were photographed and returned to the water alive. Officers Gore and Lipford assisted with the case.
Officer Lipford is continuing to address ongoing oyster harvest-related violations within Franklin County and the Apalachicola Bay. Officer Lipford issued a misdemeanor citation to one of two commercial harvesters for possession of undersized oysters (41% undersized) and was assisted in the case by Officers Allen and Stephens who cited the other harvester. Officer Lipford also issued another misdemeanor citation to a commercial harvester for illegally harvesting oysters from restricted waters. Two bags of oysters were seized and returned to the water alive in this case. Officer Lipford conducted another inspection upon commercial harvesters transporting oysters in the rear of their vehicle. Upon inspection, the oysters were found to be unshaded. The harvester, whose shellfish tags were affixed to the two bags of oysters, was issued a misdemeanor citation and the oysters were seized and returned to the water alive.
Officer Brownell responded to a complaint of people harvesting oysters in prohibited waters of Apalachicola Bay. Officer Brownell was unable to locate the harvesters in the area that he responded to, but did locate two harvesters about two miles away harvesting oysters in a conditionally approved area during a closure. Both harvesters were issued misdemeanor citations and 1 ½ bags of oysters were seized and returned to the water alive.
Decoy deer operations were conducted across the weekend in the Tate’s Hell State Forest. Officer Cook and Lieutenant Wood conducted the operation during which six hunters viewed the illegal deer. Officer Cook issued a misdemeanor citation and seized the firearm of a hunter who shot the illegal deer. The hunter advised the Officers that she knew that what she shot at was a deer, but admitted that she could not positively identify it as being a legal deer for Tate’s Hell State Forest. The five other hunters viewed, but did not shoot at the decoy.
COPS (Community Oriented Policing)
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Captain Sumner, Lieutenant Berryman and Officer Hoomes attended the pre-event meeting for the upcoming Hutton Unit Mobility Impaired Hunt. The hunt is scheduled for two weekends and is a very popular event. Officers met with FWC biologists and wildlife technicians in preparation for the annual event.
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