East District

Hunting

On Friday, November 28th 2014 Officer J. Williams received a call via Dispatch regarding a deer that had been shot on private land in Killingly. He responded to the area and spoke with the landowner who advised him that he did not give permission to anyone to hunt his land. Officer Williams found the dead deer and back tracked the deer and human tracks to a set of ATV tracks. The ATV tracks led him to municipal property and ultimately to a house and garage on an adjacent road. Sgt. Dwyer and Officer Williams conducted an interview of the homeowner and learned that her son had been on the ATV earlier in the morning. The owner granted permission of the officers to search the garage area where they determined the ATV tracks were the same as those found near the dead deer. They also found a rifle in plain sight while checking the ATV. The owner advised them that the rifle did not belong to her, at which time it was taken as evidence. Later in the day they were able to meet with the suspect, a convicted felon, who told them he had no knowledge of why they were there and that he wanted a lawyer. They left the area and Officer Williams has a warrant application pending with the court.

On Saturday, November 29th 2014 Officer Arsenault received a complaint via DEEP Dispatch of a shot fired close to a house in Voluntown. He happened to be in the vicinity of the complaint and after he was given a description of the vehicle involved in the complaint it passed by him. He quickly turned around and caught up with the vehicle where it had pulled over on the side of the road. After talking with the three occupants he learned they had been hunting in the area of the complaint. One of the subjects was initially uncooperative but ultimately admitted to shooting toward a house that was in range of his shotgun. Officers Arsenault and Reilly placed the suspect under arrest and processed him at the scene with a promise to appear in court at a later date. The firearm used was confiscated and placed into evidence for further examination.

Also on Saturday, November 29th 2014, Officer Vroman received a call in the Town of Pomfret. While investigating a separate complaint and searching the area he came across a man in full camouflage hunting for deer with a rifle more than 30 minutes after legal hunting hours had closed for the day. Upon further investigation he learned the man did not have valid consent to hunt the property and he was not carrying his hunting permits. Officer Vroman placed the man under arrest and processed him at his vehicle where he was released with a cash bond due to the fact that he was not a Connecticut resident.

On Monday, December 1st 2014 Officer Danielson received a complaint via DEEP Dispatch that someone was hunting too close to a house in Tolland. He and Officer Pettus went to investigate and learned that the suspect was in fact hunting within 500 feet of a house. The subject was issued a summons to appear in court at a later date and released from the scene.

On Tuesday, December 2nd 2014 Officer Vroman was received a call from a landowner in the Town of Woodstock stating that she believed someone was hunting her property without permission. Upon his arrival to the area he found a vehicle registered in Massachusetts. After a short search of the nearby woods he found a subject hunting the property for deer with a rifle without permission, not wearing orange, and not carrying his license. The subject was able to produce a license once he got back to his vehicle but at that time it was determined that he was a Massachusetts resident using a resident license which he had procured illegally. The subject was placed under arrest and charged with hunting for deer without consent, hunting deer with no deer permit, hunting deer without prescribed orange and false statement 2nd degree. He was warned for his other violations and released on a summons and cash bond to assure his court appearance.

On Friday, December 5th 2014 Officers Pettus and Scatena received a complaint of someone shooting turkeys within 500 feet of several houses in Ashford. Upon investigation they found a suspect who admitted to shooting into a flock of turkeys. The suspect admitted he knew turkey season was closed and that he was too close to other houses. He had no hunting license or turkey hunting permits and was also charged with 4th Degree Negligent Hunting. The suspect was issued a court date for later in the month and released on a promise to appear.

On Saturday, December 13th 2014 Officers from the East District and the Hunting Related Shooting Incident Team responded to Haddam, CT for a hunter that had apparently shot himself in the leg while deer hunting. Officers arrived and local EMS personnel had started treating the victim for his wound. The victim, a 65 year old male from Old Saybrook was air lifted to Hartford Hospital for further evaluation and treatment. The incident is still under investigation.

On Saturday, December 20th 2014 Officer Reilly received a complaint of someone hunting too close to the main building at Franklin Swamp Wildlife Management Area. She responded to the area and found a subject hunting from a stand well within 500 feet of the building. Environmental Police had dealt with the subject in the past and he was issued a summons to appear in court at a later date for hunting within 500 feet and released on scene.

Also on Saturday, December 20th 2014 Officer Ruggiero was following up on a complaint from earlier in the month regarding a trespassing issue in Middletown, CT. He had received a complaint through Middletown PD of two hunting blinds on private property where no hunting is allowed and was checking them for the third time. Upon entering the woods he found the two stands occupied by archery deer hunters that did not have permission to be hunting the property. They were cooperative and admitted they knew they were not supposed to be there. Each was given a summons to appear in court after the New Year and released on scene.

Marine District

Hunting arrest

On December 20, 2014, Officer John Hey was patrolling Aquarion Water company property for illegal hunting activity. Trespassing or hunting is not allowed on this property. A tree stand and recent indications of hunting activity were found by the officer. At approximately 3:15 P.M., a male dressed in hunting apparel and carrying a cross bow was observed placing bait on the ground and then climbing up into the tree stand. The hunter did not have an archery permit or consent to hunt on the property and was issued misdemeanor summons. He was given a court date at Bridgeport Superior court in January for the illegal hunting charges.

Uncontrolled pets

Officers in the western marine sector have been receiving numerous complaints of pets not under control of their owners at Sherwood Island State Park. On December 22, 2014 officers investigated a complaint of a dog fight that had occurred the day prior. A small Dachshund had been attacked by a bloodhound in the park. The bloodhound was not under the control of its owner at the time and the attack caused extensive injuries to the Dachshund. The animal had to be rushed to Norwalk veterinary center for treatment which cost over one thousand dollars. The owner of the bloodhound paid the veterinary bill and cooperated with officers during the investigation. The accused was issued an infraction for failure to keep her pet under control.

WEST DISTRICT

EnCon Police and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigating shooting death of Bald Eagle

On December 13th EnCon Police received a report of a dead immature Bald Eagle that the caller stated that it appeared was struck and killed by a car.
EnCon Police Officer Ed Yescott responded, retrieved the eagle and turned it over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife Forensic Laboratory, which determined that the eagle had been shot.
A joint investigation into the killing of the eagle is currently underway with EnCon Police officers and US Fish & Wildlife Service Special Agents.

State Park supervisor arrested on criminal charges

On December 20th, after a 6 month long internal investigation by EnCon Police personnel, the Park Manager at a western Connecticut State Park was arrested on multiple criminal charges. The Park Manager has been accused of stealing gasoline from state-owned pumps and using a work credit card for personal purchases. The gas and personal items totaled nearly $10,000.
The Park Manager was charged with first-degree larceny, two counts of second-degree larceny and three counts of second-degree forgery. He was released on a promise to appear Jan. 8 in Danbury Superior Court.

Hiker Dies After Apparent Heart Attack At Sleeping Giant State Park

On December 28th a 62-year-old West Haven man died after suffering an apparent heart attack while hiking at Sleeping Giant State Park Sunday afternoon. EnCon Police, Hamden police, firefighters and medics responded but attempts to revive the victim failed.

Illegal Deer Hunting Arrests

On December 27th, EnCon Police Officer Ed Norton and Sergeant Keith Williams were on patrol in Barkhamsted when they observed a pickup truck parked in front of the gate at American Legion State Forest. Upon checking the vehicle, which had an expired registration, the officers observed camo clothing in the vehicle which was indicative to someone possibly hunting. Officer Norton and Sergeant Williams observed two individuals walking out of the woods towards the vehicle. The two both male, were wearing plain clothes and one individual was carrying a bow with him. The officers did not observe this individual wearing 400 square inches of fluorescent orange required by law for archery hunters between 11/19 and 12/31. When questioned as to their activities the individual with the bow stated that he was setting up his stand for the rest of the season. When asked if he was hunting the subject stated that he was not hunting. When asked why he had the bow with him and what his intentions were the subject stated, “Well if I saw a deer I would have shot it.” Possession of the bow was a prima facia case of hunting. It was then determined that the subject did not have a valid 2014 hunting license or archery permit and that he drove the unregistered vehicle to the location. The subject with the bow was arrested and charged with Failure to have orange while hunting, Illegal deer hunting with no license, and Operating an unregistered motor vehicle.

On 11/16/14 EnCon Police Officer Ed Yescott received a complaint of corn being placed in Tunxis State Forest beneath and in front of a deer hunting tree stand, during archery
deer season and three days prior to the start of shotgun A deer season. The caller was upset because he likes to hunt this particular forest and with the corn being placed in the area he rightly concluded that the area was a baited area where he could not legally hunt deer. Officer Yescott located the bait and tree stand. The bait consisted of a pile of about 25 pounds of cracked and shelled, dried corn on the ground about 30 yards in front of the tree stand. Officer Yescott also observed that several dozen saplings around the area and particularly between the tree stand and the pile of corn, were recently cut off at about three feet above the ground. Officer Yescott continued checking the tree stand and bait pile on various dates and times. On December 4th he returned to the area and found a pickup truck parked at the trail head. Officer Yescott walked in to the area and observed a subject sitting in the tree stand, wearing orange with a 12 ga. shotgun and an activated electronic fawn bleat deer call. At the time, remnants from the pile of corn were still visible on the ground. Upon questioning the subject admitted to cutting the saplings and placing the bait.The subject was arrested for illegally deer hunting over bait.

Boating Under the Influence arrest

On December 30th, EnCon Police Officer Alex Johnston arrested a New Fairfield man with an arrest warrant for Boating Under the Influence and Reckless Operation of a vessel 2nd Degree while under the influence. The subject was the operator and sole occupant of his 13 foot boat when he lost control of the vessel and crashed it into Great Neck in New Fairfield on Candlewood Lake on June 29, 2014. The subject sustained non-life threatening injuries in the accident and was released from Danbury Hospital two days later. A search warrant was obtained for blood alcohol tests done in the normal treatment of patients at the hospital and it was determined that subject’s blood alcohol level was .205.

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