FWC Field Operations Weekly Report

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.

NORTHWEST REGION

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

On May 13 at 2 a.m. an officer responded to a complaint from a resident in the Holley area north of Navarre.  The landowner called FWC Communications and advised he had shot and killed a large bear that had killed his goats.  The officer located the deceased bear inside a goat pen with two freshly killed goats.  The landowner had previously complained of problems with a bear when five of his goats had been killed over a period of weeks and had been cooperating with wildlife technicians in their attempts to live trap the bear.  The investigating officer determined that no charges are warranted against the landowner.

OKALOOSA COUNTY

Officers Matt Webb and Ryan Nelson conducted a fishery inspection on a vessel in Destin Pass.  The inspection revealed undersize gag grouper. The captain of the vessel was issued a citation for possession of undersize grouper.

Officer Matt Webb conducted two separate fishery inspections on vessels in Destin Pass.  The inspections revealed undersize amberjack and scamp. The captains of the vessels were cited for the fish violations.

Officers Webb and Nelson stopped a vessel in Destin Harbor to conduct a safety inspection. During the inspection, the operator displayed signs of impairment.  Field sobriety tasks confirmed the operator was impaired.  The vessel operator was placed under arrest and transported to the Okaloosa County Jail where he agreed to a state certified breath test to determine his breath alcohol content.  The subject provided a breath sample of .190.  He was booked into the jail and charged with operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol.  A computer check revealed the subject had prior convictions for first degree murder and several charges for driving under the influence.

Officers Webb and Nelson conducted fishery inspections and cited two captains on separate vessels for possession of undersize king mackerel.

Officers Pete Rockwell and Ryan Nelson responded to a domestic dispute on a vessel in Santa Rosa Sound near Brook's Bridge in Fort Walton Beach.  The complaint indicated a subject had beaten his wife and pushed her overboard.  Officers Rockwell and Nelson located the vessel and occupants involved and turned them over to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Department.

Officers Steve Bartlett and Pete Rockwell responded to the Gulf of Mexico to assist U.S. Coast Guard personnel with the search for a missing and possibly distressed swimmer.  Officers Bartlett and Rockwell located the missing female, floating and unconscious.  Officer Rockwell immediately entered the water, right-sided the female, and began rescue efforts as he physically returned her to the beach area.  Upon arrival to the beach, he was met by Fire Department and EMS personnel where resuscitation efforts were successful.  The female was transported to a local hospital.

WALTON COUNTY

Officers Pete Rockwell, Randall Brooks and Espy Letcher responded to a missing person complaint, possibly a swimmer in distress off of the beach in south Walton County.  Officer Rockwell located the swimmer who was overwhelmed by both the rough water and undertow.  The U.S. Coast Guard responded to the scene with a 25-foot vessel and helicopter.  The Coast Guard recovered the subject and airlifted him to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

BAY COUNTY

Lt. Jay Chesser and Officer Mike Nobles were on water patrol in the Econfina Wildlife Management Area when they pulled up to a fisher who had a cloud of cannabis smoke around him.  When this was pointed out, the individual produced a cannabis cigarette which resulted in him being issued a citation for possession.  The individual was cited last year for night hunting after he shot the decoy deer and the year before he was cited for numerous marine fisheries violations that resulted in a fine totaling around $1,300.

LEON COUNTY

Officers Charles Higman and Billy Kemp were on Lake Jackson conducting water patrol when they stopped a vessel for a boating safety and fisheries inspection.  The operator could not produce a valid vessel registration.  When asked to look at any fish caught, the operator opened a cooler containing three black bass.  All three fish were significantly shorter than the minimum 18-inch requirement specific to Lake Jackson.  The operator was cited for the resource violation and given a warning for the vessel registration violation.

Officer Chris Jones and an investigator were conducting water patrol on Lake Talquin around Coe's Landing.  They stopped a vessel to conduct a fisheries inspection and asked the operator if he had caught any fish.

The individual stated he had not caught anything.  An inspection by Officer Jones revealed an undersize black bass.  The individual was cited for the violation.