FWC Law Enforcement Report

May 29, 2016

The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending May 19 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY

While working on Opal Beach in a shore bird nesting area, Officer Clark observed a red Dodge traveling above the posted speed limit. He initiated a traffic stop and asked the driver for his license. The driver provided a Michigan Identification Card. Officer Clark asked the driver if his license was suspended and he advised it was. While confirming the suspension, Officer Clark discovered the driver’s license had been suspended at least three times by the State of Michigan. He also discovered that the driver had an active warrant out of Santa Rosa County. The subject was issued traffic citations for excessive speed, tag expired more than six months and placed under arrest for driving on a suspended license (third or more convictions) and for the active warrant through Santa Rosa County for the violation of probation.

Officer Allgood was conducting resource inspections in state waters 17 miles east-southeast of Pensacola Pass. He observed an individual fishing, pulled his patrol vessel alongside the fishing vessel, and asked the boat owner if he had any luck. He failed to respond to the question and started throwing red snapper in the water. Officer Allgood told him to stop throwing fish, but the man failed to comply and continued throwing the red snapper in the water. The owner then grabbed three bags full of fillets and dumped them overboard as well. Officer Allgood positioned his patrol vessel alongside his vessel and boarded the vessel. During his inspection, he found the man in possession of two additional red snapper and two grey triggerfish. Officer Allgood arrested the subject for interference and over the bag limit of red snapper. This was the second time this subject has dumped fish when approached by Officer Allgood in the past three months.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Officer Lewis was on forest patrol in Blackwater River State Forest when he observed a man and woman sitting in a truck together at a popular swimming hole. He observed litter around the truck and asked the man for his identification. A computer check for the man came back that he had a domestic violence injunction protection order imposed against him, and there was a protected person on the order that the man could not be with. Officer Lewis determined that the woman the man was with was the protected person on the order. Officer Lewis arrested the man for violation of the order and transported him to the Santa Rosa County Jail.

Officer Ramos was patrolling in the Escribano Point Wildlife Management Area (WMA) when he responded to a group of disruptive campers. While there, he discovered that one of the campers had intentionally placed an improper tag on a newly purchased RV.

He issued the man a notice to appear for attaching a tag not assigned.

Officer Ramos and other members of the FWC Dive Team responded to the Escambia River at Fisher Landing to assist the Escambia County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office with a search for a shotgun that was used in an attempted murder. The search was unsuccessful, but the joint cooperation between the FWC, Alabama Sheriff’s Office, and North Bay Fire Department made the task much easier and they were able to rule out the possibility of the shotgun being in this area. (For further details, click here.)

Officer Lewis was on water patrol on Blackwater River when he observed a woman in the water clinging to an overturned kayak. The woman had a dog with her and the dog was attempting to climb on her back, and the woman was unable to upright the kayak. Officer Lewis emptied water from the kayak and turned it upright. He helped the woman on board the kayak, but she was unable to maintain her balance because the kayak was still taking on water. Officer Lewis helped the woman and the dog onto his patrol vessel and transported them to a local boat ramp. Her kayak was towed in by a group of kayakers she was with.

Officers Cushing, Land and Allgood conducted offshore fishery patrols aboard the FWC Vessel FinCat. The officers inspected 30 vessels and found two to be in violation of marine fishery rules. The officers issued federal citations for undersized mingo snapper and for possession of red snapper during the closed season.

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

10 Responses to “FWC Law Enforcement Report”

  1. Ban Wave Runners on May 31st, 2016 1:54 pm

    ATTENTION FWC !!!!!!!! ATTENTION FWC!!!!!!! ATTENTION FWC !!!!!!!!!!!
    First of all, you guys and girls do great work. Hate to see how our fishing and hunting would be these days without you. You guys have your hands full and a dangerous job and there are a lot of people that appreciate it. What I do hate is what’s happening on Perdido River. Every weekend during the summer the river is full of tubers and kayakers and a few small boats. The problem that’s getting worse every year are more wave runners running at high speeds on the straights and around sharp river bends eroding the banks and destroying a peaceful day of floating and swimming at the river I floated down yesterday and witnessed two different altercations between swimmers and wave runner operators. The river is not big enough for PWCs. BAN WAVE RUNNERS NORTH OF MUSCOGEE RD. Please don’t wait until someone get hurt or dies. Keep Perdido River Safe for the swimmers, tubers, Kayakers.

  2. chris in Molino on May 31st, 2016 9:25 am

    @LoveYall
    I guess Florida Rep. Ritch Workman is a criminal when he passed HB 703 which signed by Gov Scott which goes into effect July 1, 2016. It prohibits FWC from pulling over a boat without probable cause. People are tired of all the safety inspections which is just a pre-text to write you a ticket for something else. FWC are ticket crazy. Imagine FHP being able to stop motorists for any reason and doing so all day and night. Searching through your vehicle and it’s contents (including a purse) intent on finding something to write you a ticket for. They never find anything but in an 8-10 hour period you still get stopped two more times.
    Would you be upset and have something bad to say ? If so, youd probably be a criminal ! :-)

  3. Randy Webb on May 30th, 2016 9:54 am

    People need to understand that the officer has to arrest the individual because of the injunction violation, otherwise he is liable if something were to happen, ie they get into a fight and the suspect hurts the female.

  4. jeeperman on May 30th, 2016 8:02 am

    The article does not say who requested the protection order.
    She was listed on the order.
    Perhaps someone else like a parent or guardian or a judge may have obtained the order and put her name on it due to age or mental capacity, etc.

  5. Mike on May 30th, 2016 6:40 am

    Since she filed for the order, then broke it willingly, the order should then be considered null & void, simple. Whether she should be charged with filing for the order then breaking it herself, thus being a waste of the court’s time is another matter that is not so simple. :)

  6. Karen shepley on May 29th, 2016 6:24 pm

    I totally agree that the man should not have been arrested for being with this lady. Personally I think she should have been the one arrested for breaking the contract she is the one that filed it and knowingly broke it. Either she should had been arrested or both of them…

  7. Pensacola pete on May 29th, 2016 5:09 pm

    As to the protection order violator, the court order is binding until the court lifts it. Judges dont like it when you ignore them!

  8. LoveYall on May 29th, 2016 2:14 pm

    You guys and gals do an awesome job everyday that u get into those uniforms. I Appreciate everything you do for the community on land and water. The people that don’t have good things to say is are most likely criminals themselves. I pray for y’all every day and very happy to know that we have great people like law enforcement, fire fighters, emt, and our Soldiers that get up everyday and put there lives on the line to keep us safe…We

  9. Puddin on May 29th, 2016 9:33 am

    Good job Officers. Thank you for your service.

  10. bewildered on May 29th, 2016 8:44 am

    Regarding the first arrest made in Santa Rosa County: Unless the “woman” was a juvenile it makes no sense to arrest the man. Looks like both adults ignored the order of protection and decided to go on an outing to Blackwater River State Forest together. You cannot save people from themselves! .

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