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FWC Law Enforcement Report

February 11, 2023

This week, the Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity from October:

ESCAMBIA COUNTY

Officer Specialist Pettey received information of two deer carcasses being dumped, oneof which had its head removed. Officer Pettey spoke to several landowners and discovered one individual had been using a deer depredation permit on a nearby field. The officer was able to speak with the individual, who admitted taking the antlered deer from the field, which is a violation of the depredation permit. The deer head was recovered and the individual was cited for the violations.

Officer Specialist Allgood observed an individual fishing. He conducted a resource and license inspection and determined the subject did not have a valid saltwater fishing license. In addition, he discovered the subject was a wanted fugitive in Henry County, Alabama. Officer Specialist Allgood arrested the subject and booked him the Escambia County jail.

Officer Specialist Allgood was on patrol and observed a commercial fisherman with a vessel in tow entering Florida from Alabama. The officer conducted a resource inspection. During the inspection, the officer asked the fisherman for the required documentation that allows a person to legally transport saltwater products into the state. The subject was unable to produce the required documents. The officer issued a notice to appear for transporting saltwater products into the state without an invoice or bill of lading.

Officer Specialist Allgood was on patrol and observed a man return from hunting. A resource inspection was conducted, and the officer found two recently harvested deer in the cooler of the subject’s truck. The hunter did not have a hunting license and was cited for possession of two deer during the closed season and possession of unlabeled deer meat.

Officer Specialist Allgood and Hahr checked three people hunting dove on a private, recently mowed millet field. Upon closer inspection, the officers located cracked corn spread in the middle of the field. Citations were issued for the violations.

Officer Lugg and Senst were on patrol in the Gulf of Mexico when they received a call referencing a commercial fisherman that ran from a National Park Service Officer by vessel. The Park Service Officer was attempting to stop him for commercially fishing in a closed area near Fort Pickens. Officer Specialist Cushing, McHenry and Robertson also responded to the area to assist. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers located the suspect on the north side of Pensacola Bay. The subject was detained and turned over to the National Park Service officer. Multiple federal charges are pending on the suspect.

Officers Lugg, Wilkenson, and Senst were on patrol conducting fisheries inspections in the Gulf of Mexico. They cited four individual vessel operators for the following violations: an undersized greater amberjack, several filleted vermillion snapper, undersized red snapper during closed season, harvested red snapper during closed season, and no saltwater licensing.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Officer Cushing conducted a commercial fishing vessel inspection at Shoreline Park. While inspecting the commercial diving vessel, he determined two of the seven greater amberjack were undersized. The captain of the vessel indicated he speared the fish and said he believed they were at least the 36” minimum commercial size limit. Using the captain’s ruler and a state issued ruler, it was determined they were clearly less than the minimum size limit. He was issued a citation for the violation.

Officer Bower received information about individuals fishing on the Pensacola Fishing Pier keeping a cooler full of undersized mangrove snapper. The subject was seen leaving the pier and the complainant was able to describe the vehicle leaving the area. Officer Bower was conducting resource inspections at another fishing location and identified the subjects matching the description from photos that were provided. Officer Bower located 12 undersized mangrove snapper. The subject was issued a notice to appear for possessing undersized and over the bag limit of mangrove snapper.

Officers Bower, Corbin, and Oliver responded to a boating accident with injuries. A group of personal watercrafts (PWC) were operating in the middle of the Santa Rosa Sound, near the county line. Two of the PWCs collided with ach other. The operator of the striking vessel did not maintain a proper lookout, as he was looking to his right instead of the direction he was traveling. The vessel struck another PWC causing injury to the operator, who was transported by EMS and treated for multiple injuries. Charges were filed against the operator of the striking vessel. While on patrol in Blackwater State Forest Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Officer Mullins located a couch and other items illegally dumped on management land. The officer gathered information and obtained a vehicle description. Officer Mullins and Roberson located the vehicle and subject at his nearby residence. The officers spoke with the suspect who admitted to illegally dumping the couch on Blackwater property. The officers followed the suspect back to the WMA where he loaded the couch and litter back into his truck and cleaned the area. The suspect was issued a notice to appear and multiple citations for several violations.

NorthEscambia.com

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