FWC
Division of Law Enforcement
Weekly Report
May 23-May 29, 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
Over a five-day period, FWC officers aboard the 31-foot offshore patrol vessel, FinCat, patrolled the state and federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico anticipating early red snapper activity and for the opening of the red snapper season. On the first day through midnight, the crew conducted 11 vessel boardings, of which three vessels were found to be in violation. Violations included possession of red snapper fillets, red snapper and gag grouper during a closed season. Other violations included over the bag limit of vermillion snapper and interference with a Federal Officer. Over the next several days, more than 14 boardings were conducted with citations and warnings issued for over the bag limit of red snapper, undersized vermillion snapper, undersized greater amberjack and no saltwater fishing license.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Jones responded to a report of a sinking vessel in Santa Rosa Sound between Tiger Point and Gulf Breeze. Lieutenant Lambert and Officer Manning, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the Gulf Breeze Fire Department also responded. When the responders arrived, they found that the distressed boat had sunk. The four occupants of this vessel were rescued from the water and taken aboard by a passing vessel. All were unharmed and were transported to their residences by the officers. After interviewing the captain of the vessel, it was determined that the 18‑foot vessel took on water and sank.
Officer Hutchinson and Lieutenant Hahr were working on the Blackwater River when they noticed a drug pipe next to a subject during a boating safety inspection. A subsequent search revealed that the man was in possession of cannabis and 18 hydrocodone pills without a prescription. The man was arrested and booked for possession of controlled substances without a prescription and possession of not more than 20 grams of cannabis.
Officer Hutchinson and Lieutenant Hahr were patrolling on the Blackwater River when an approaching vessel turned abruptly in front of them. The man operating the boat immediately stated that he was not driving and that his 14‑year‑old daughter was. He exhibited several signs of impairment. It was clear that the young lady was not in command of the vessel and was unable to operate it by herself. The man performed poorly on field sobriety tasks and was arrested for BUI. Due to difficulty dealing with the other passengers on the vessel, the man did not provide a breath sample until 2.5 hours later, but was still over the legal limit at .087%. During the investigation, he admitted that he had not transferred the title after purchasing the vessel and that he never had transferred a title on any of his vessels. He was also charged with failure to transfer a vessel title.
Officers Lewis and Hutchinson and Lieutenant Hahr were patrolling in the Blackwater State Forest when they encountered a group of people in a primitive campsite. When they saw Officer Lewis walk by, a male subject immediately tried to hide something in a bag. Officer Hutchinson asked him what he hid in the bag and located a drug pipe, cannabis, and some suspected hydrocodone pills. The man admitted that they were his. He was issued a notice to appear for possession of not more than 20 grams of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia. Further charges are pending analysis of the pills by FDLE.
Later, the officers located a group of underage subjects with a case of beer. One of the subjects admitted that he brought it and was the only one that had begun drinking. He was issued a notice to appear for the violation. Later, the officers located a group of 15 to 17 year-olds who were sleeping on a sandbar. Several beer cans were sitting in the sand around them. After the officers questioned the subjects, one of them admitted that when they saw the officers’ trucks, they hid their cooler full of beer in the woods. The officers located the beer and called the juveniles’ parents to pick them up from the area.
Officer Lewis, Lieutenant Hahr, K9 Officer Pineda and K9 Kane were patrolling in the Blackwater State Forest when they approached a primitive camp. They smelled a slight odor of cannabis and spoke to the people in the camp. One of the campers tried to hide a marijuana grinder when he stood up and another hid a pipe under some baby wipes. A small amount of cannabis was found on each of the subjects and both were issued notices to appear for possession of not more than 20 grams of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Lieutenant Hahr was on patrol in the Perdido River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) when he observed an ATV travelling towards him on the highway. He attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the young man fled into some private property and then into the WMA. Lieutenant Hahr located the abandoned ATV and contacted the Escambia County Road Prison and Investigator Goley for assistance. They tracked the subject back to the highway. In the meantime, a car full of young men and women approached the officers and said they were looking for their cousin. They gave the name of a subject who lived nearby. Lieutenant Hahr went to the residence and while questioning the occupants, the suspect walked inside the house. He was the same one that told the other officers that it was his cousin. After recognizing the subject, Lieutenant Hahr obtained a confession. He was issued notices to appear for resisting arrest and driving on a suspended driver license. The 17-year-old was also cited for operating an ATV on the highway and in the WMA. He had been cited four days earlier by Lieutenant Lambert after attempting to elude him while operating the same ATV in the WMA. The ATV was seized and the suspect’s parents were called to pick him up.
OKALOOSA COUNTY
FWC officers were conducting boating safety inspections in the Destin Pass area when they located a vessel with 13 occupants on board. Concerned for the safety of the occupants, the officers conducted a boating safety inspection. The inspection revealed that there were no personal flotation devices (PFDs) on board. It was also discovered that the vessel was rented to the group without providing the PFDs. The officers stayed with the vessel until the livery delivered the proper number of PFDs. The livery was later cited criminally for not providing the proper safety equipment.
FRANKLIN COUNTY
FWC officers, Florida Highway Patrol troopers, and Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies participated in a public safety operational detail coinciding with the 2014 ‘White Trash Bash’ held on the Memorial Day holiday weekend at Dog Island and Alligator Point. The detail was designed to protect Florida's boating public through enhanced boating safety patrol, increase voluntary compliance from the boating public through education and enforcement of the BUI and DUI laws as well as all highway safety and traffic laws, provide a highly visible law enforcement presence and increase multi-agency working relationships. During the detail, 69 vessels were boarded with 504 users being checked. The citations and warnings issued included 17 boating safety warnings, 21 resource warnings, 8 uniform boating citations for boating safety violations, 1 arrest for operating a vessel while impaired, 23 uniform traffic citations, and 23 traffic warnings. Twelve individuals were assisted during the detail with three being medical emergencies that required transport to the mainland for medical treatment.
GADSDEN COUNTY
Officer Jones received information that a subject possibly was over the bag limit of crappie and was cleaning the fish at a local marina on Lake Talquin. Officer Jones arrived on scene and found the subject cleaning fish as reported. Officer Jones conducted a fisheries inspection and found the subject to be in compliance with the crappie bag limit but found him in possession of undersized striped bass. The subject was cited.
WAKULLA COUNTY
Officers Anderson and Harrison received a complaint about an impaired boat operator at the Fort Boat Ramp in St. Marks. The officers located the vessel and observed the vessel operating erratically and also observed the operator fall down in the boat several times. The officers conducted a vessel stop and tried to communicate with the operator which was very difficult due to his slurred speech. The individual could not stand and appeared to be severely intoxicated. The operator was unable to complete several field sobriety tasks. The operator was eventually arrested for BUI and transported to the Wakulla County Jail.
COP (Community Oriented Policing)
Officer Hutchinson and Lieutenant Hahr represented FWC at NAS Whiting Field on their “Summer Brief” to military personnel. The officers talked to approximately 200 Navy personnel giving information and answering questions about boating safety and local regulations.
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