FWC
Division of Law Enforcement
Weekly Report
December 20, 2013 - January 2, 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
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officer Hoomes received a complaint of two overdue boaters. With the assistance of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the individuals’ vehicle and boat trailer were located at Navy Point Boat Ramp. Officers Livesay and Cushing responded to assist with the search. A short time later, the individuals’ vessel, a 14‑foot Jon boat, was found washed up near Fort Pickens Pier. A short distance away, one victim was located deceased. A short time later, an Escambia County Sheriff’s Deputy called to report they were picking up the second individual at a convenient store several miles away. Officer Hoomes spoke to the second occupant and determined the two individuals were fishing near the Pensacola Pass and their vessel partially sank after a large wave washed over the bow. The surviving occupant reportedly was in the water several hours before making it to shore. He then walked several miles before he was able to report what had happened. Investigator Goley is investigating the accident.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
While working on the Eglin Reservation, Officer Jones was checking hunters who were walking out of a still-hunt area. After conversing with the hunters, Officer Jones was told that a couple of shots were heard across a nearby creek moments earlier. Officer Jones observed a vehicle parked at a trail head in the vicinity of where the shots were heard. Officer Jones went to the vehicle and waited for the hunter's return. Well after dark, the hunter arrived carrying a deer on a pack frame. The deer was a short-antlered buck with its longest antler approximately one inch in length. The hunter was cited with a notice to appear in county court for taking an antlerless deer. Eglin Range Patrol Officers arrived and issued a notice of violation suspending the hunter’s Eglin privileges.
OKALOOSA COUNTY
Officers Jarvis and Rockwell responded to a complaint at the Eglin spray fields in Fort Walton Beach near unit H15 regarding a subject hunting during closed season on the Eglin Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The complainant showed Officers Jarvis and Rockwell where the man was hunting alongside the spray fields and advised that he was shooting arrows into the spray fields. Officers Jarvis and Rockwell began to search the area for the hunter and found him hiding in some bushes several hundred yards away from his tree stand. Officer Jarvis issued the hunter a citation for hunting during closed season and a warning for not having his Eglin permit.
Officers Jarvis and Rockwell responded to a complaint on Eglin WMA off Range Road 454 and 577, adjacent to Duke Field. An off-duty Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Deputy was driving his truck down Range Road 577 and when he thought he heard the sound of bushes and trees being cut in a closed area. He then heard two people talking and noticed a truck parked off the side of the road. Two men eventually walked out of the closed area and the off-duty deputy identified himself and detained the two men until Officers Jarvis and Rockwell, along with Range Patrol, arrived. The two men admitted to cutting down trees in the closed area and had installed one tree stand and were planning to install more. Officers Jarvis and Rockwell charged both men with cutting down trees in a WMA, entering an area posted as “closed to public access” in a WMA, and entering or exiting Eglin WMA in areas or times other than specified by the area commander. Eglin Range Patrol also suspended the men’s hunting privileges for two weeks.
WALTON COUNTY
Officer Brooks and Lieutenant Walsingham responded to Eglin WMA near Freeport on a report of a convicted felon hunting with a firearm. Surveillance was conducted and a vehicle matching the description was stopped. The subject was in possession of a modern rifle and had an eight-point buck deer on the dog box. A computer check revealed that he was not a convicted felon; however, he was on felony probation. The probation officer was notified and confirmed that the subject was in violation by possessing a firearm. The subject was issued a citation for expired hunting license and booked into the Walton County Jail for violation of probation. The rifle was seized as evidence.
BAY COUNTY
Officer Price received information concerning an illegally killed doe. Officers Price and Palmer located the subject and conducted an interview. A written confession was obtained in which the subject admitted to the violation. He advised he hadn’t been hunting in a long time and he wanted to kill something. A citation was issued for the violation.
Lieutenant Chesser and Officers Leonard, Price and Palmer worked the shorelines of the bays in an attempt to locate hidden illegal nets. One oversized monofilament gill net was located and destroyed.
Officers Goodwin and Hellett were working an undercover detail in Warren Bayou, also known as the Steam Plant Canal. The area is closed to the harvest of marine fish species from November to the end of February. The Officers observed a subject throwing a cast net from a vessel and harvesting mullet. They approached the subject and issued the subject a citation for harvesting fish in a closed area.
WAKULLA COUNTY
Officer Hoelscher was on water patrol when he received a complaint of individuals illegally harvesting oysters from a closed area. Officer Hoelscher located the individuals and cited both for harvesting in a closed area and possession of undersized oysters.
FRANKLIN COUNTY
Officer Allen received information that a habitual offender would be out fishing for mullet with a large mesh net during the evening near St. George Island. Officers Allen and Stephens worked for several hours in the afternoon attempting to locate the suspect’s vehicle and launch location. In the early evening, Officer Allen located the suspect’s vehicle at a private ramp on St. George Island and contacted Officers Gore and Nelson to assist with the surveillance of the ramp. The officers concealed themselves for several hours waiting for the suspect to arrive and disclosed their location and identified themselves as the vessel was being pulled from the water. The primary suspect has an extensive history of net violations and has had his fishing privileges revoked, but was in possession of three, large mesh nylon nets, several hundred pounds of mullet, three red drum and four black drum. Numerous resource and boating safety citations were issued in the case, including a felony for fishing with privileges revoked. The suspect was booked into the Franklin County Jail.
During the past two weeks, Officers Allen and Stephens have been diligent on patrol locating individuals harvesting undersized oysters in Apalachicola Bay. Their persistence has paid off, with the Officers making several undersized cases. Some of the percentages for the undersized oysters were as high as 90 percent.
While in Apalachicola, Officer Bunker was approached by an individual with information reference to a boat coming in with undersized oysters. Officer Bunker investigated the information and discovered activity associated with the intelligence. Due to Officer Bunker’s efforts, he was able to make a possession of undersized oyster case. Later in the week, Officer Bunker was patrolling the Bald Point area. Officer Bunker heard gunfire coming from a private lease and saw a vehicle parked on the shoulder of the road. Officer Bunker waited for the hunter to come out of the woods. Upon encountering the hunter, Officer Bunker noticed multiple indicators of alcohol impairment. Officer Bunker completed his investigation and the subject was arrested for use of a firearm while impaired by alcohol as well as possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. Due to Officer Bunker’s efforts, this individual was kept off of the highway where he would have been a risk to public safety.
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