FWC Law Enforcement Report

May 23, 2015

The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending May 21 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY

Officer Hutchinson and Investigator Brown were patrolling the Escambia River Wildlife Management Area when they observed three kayakers paddling in a lake along the river.  They made contact with the kayakers and discovered that none of them had PFDs and one of them had been fishing without a license.  A records check revealed an outstanding warrant on one of the kayakers.  After placing him in custody, the officers found the subject to be in possession of marijuana.  He was charged for possession of cannabis and transported to the Escambia County Jail on the warrant.

Officers and investigators responded to a single vessel accident where the vessel struck the pilings of the eastbound span of the I-10 Bridge and immediately sank.  The operator spent the next 12 hours atop the cobia tower before another fisherman spotted the man and called 911.  The man was taken by air-ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital and immediately taken into surgery. The man is in critical condition. Investigator Hughes is conducting the investigation.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

The Fin Cat crew was on patrol in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico south of Pensacola.  The crew initiated a boarding on a recreational vessel with three persons onboard who were actively fishing. Prior to boarding, the subjects were asked if they “had any luck.” One of them responded that they just got there.  He was then asked if they had any fish onboard.  He reiterated that they just got there and only had bait.  During their inspection, the boarding team discovered eight undersized red snapper, a red snapper fillet, and six undersized greater amberjack, the largest measuring 24 inches in length.  All three subjects were issued federal citations.

Officer Lewis was on patrol in Blackwater River State Forest when he observed a man and woman camping.  Officer Lewis observed the man in possession of a pistol.  The couple was also in possession of alcoholic beverages which are prohibited in the area they were in.  A records check revealed that the man had a domestic violence injunction against him and could not possess a firearm.  The firearm was seized and the man was arrested for possession of a firearm while currently a subject of a protection order.

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. Information provided by FWC.

Comments

One Response to “FWC Law Enforcement Report”

  1. Gman on May 25th, 2015 5:00 am

    FWC you guys rock.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News