Breach of Peace
On 1/6/06, Environmental Conservation Police Capt. Kyle Overturf and Sgt. Tom Bull were traveling on RT. 32 in Franklin when they observed two people in a vehicle on the side of the road involved in a physical altercation. They turned around and saw two women inside the vehicle striking and wrestling with one another. Capt. Overturf and Sgt. Bull approached the vehicle and removed one of the passengers. She stated that they had been involved in a fight, but were not striking each other. The driver of the vehicle told the officers there had been no fight and were talking. Based on their observations, the two officers arrested the women for Breach of Peace and called for a Troop K car to assist in transporting the women. Both women were convicted felons with long criminal histories. They were transported to Troop K in Colchester for processing and released on a promise to appear in court.
Short Striped Bass
On 1/13/2006, Environmental Conservation Police Officer Jeff Samorajczyk responded to Seaside Park in Bridgeport on a complaint of a fisherman keeping under sized striped bass. Officer Samorajczyk encountered a subject riding a bicycle out of the park carrying a fishing pole. The subject matched the description given by the complainant. Officer Samorajczyk stopped the subject who stated that he had found some fish and placed them in his backpack. A search of the backpack revealed nine striped bass less than the legal length. The subject was released on a $500.00 non-surety bond. The subject has three previous convictions for Possession of Striped Bass Less than the Legal Length.
Hunting Deer During Closed Hours
On 1/28/2006, Environmental Conservation Police Sgt. Tom Bull was patrolling in the town of Madison checking for archery deer hunting activity. At 5:20 P.M., he found a subject in full camouflage clothing in a tree stand. The subject was holding a compound bow with the arrow knocked. The subject stated he was deer hunting. Legal hours for archery deer hunting ended at sunset, which was at 5:00 P.M. on that day. The subject was issued a summons for Hunting Deer During Closed Hours and released.
Illegal Deer Hunting
On 1/1/06 at 9:15 A.M., Environmental Conservation Police Officer John Hey and Sgt Mark Shaw received a complaint of an individual dragging a dead deer through several of his neighbor's yards in Brookfield. Officer Hey and Sgt Shaw responded and located a deer hanging outside the individual's home. The person claimed that he had shot the deer at 4:20 P.M. the previous day, however the two officers observed a fresh blood trail and footprints in the snow leading to the deer. It had snowed overnight which would have covered the blood and footprints. Sgt Shaw examined the deer and determined that based on the physical evidence, the deer had only been killed a few hours earlier. Upon further questioning the subject admitted to shooting the deer at around 11:45 P.M. the previous night from his deck. The subject stated that after he had shot the deer it ran through the neighbor's yards and he didn't retrieve it until that morning. The subject was arrested for Hunting Deer During Closed Hours and Illegal Hunting/Possession of Deer.
Rattlesnake Possession Arrest
On 1/26/06 Environmental Conservation Police Officer Ed Yescott received information that a subject in Suffield was in possession of three rattlesnakes that he was trying to give away. Officer Yescott accompanied the informant and a reptile expert to the home of the subject on 1/28/06. The subject allowed Officer Yescott, who was in plain clothes, the informant and the reptile expert into his home. The subject turned over the three rattlesnakes to the reptile expert, who identified the snakes as Uroucoan rattlesnakes, native to South and Central America. The informant and the reptile expert left the residence and Officer Yescott stayed behind to speak to the subject. Once the informant and reptile expert had left, Officer Yescott identified himself to the subject as an EnCon Police Officer and contacted Officer Tim Hill who was in uniform a short distance away. Officer Yescott determined from the subject that at one time he had over 100 snakes, many of which were venomous, and all but the three rattlesnakes had died from disease. Officer Yescott arrested the subject for Illegal Possession of a Reptile. The three rattlesnakes were turned over to the reptile expert who has worked with the US Fish & Wildlife Service, Massachusetts Environmental Police and Connecticut EnCon Police in the past securing dangerous and prohibited reptiles. The reptile expert will retain the rattlesnakes pending disposition of the arrest. Upon adjudication of the arrest, it is anticipated that the snakes will be used for educational purposes such as training environmental police officers in snake identification.
Risk of Injury to a Minor
On 1/2/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officer Eric Johnson was on patrol at Beaver Brook State Park in Windham. As he drove into the parking area he observed a parked vehicle with two males in the front seat. He observed some furtive movements by the occupants and could smell burning marijuana as he approached on foot. Officer Johnsons' investigation revealed that the passenger was a 13 year-old juvenile and that the 18 year-old driver had provided the marijuana and smoking pipe for both of them to use. The 18 year-old was arrested and charged with Risk of Injury to a Minor and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and the juvenile was arrested and charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and referred to Juvenile Court.
Illegal Turkey Hunting
On 1/7/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officer Bill Myers received a complaint of illegal turkey hunting in Haddam. The following day, Officer Myers drove into the driveway of the suspect's residence and observed a dead wild turkey lying in the middle of the driveway. Nearby he observed two plastic bags containing turkey feathers and another wild turkey. His investigation revealed that on the previous day a 22 year-old resident had seen a flock of turkeys on his property and used a shotgun to shoot at them, killing one bird and wounding another. He retrieved the birds and began to pluck the feathers of one of them, but decided to leave and continue the next day. He was arrested and charged with 2 counts of Illegal Turkey Hunting.
Delivering Alcohol to Minors
On 1/15/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officer Bill Myers served an arrest warrant on a 21-year old male charging him with Delivering Alcoholic Beverages to Minors, Illegally on Premises, Illegal Possession of Keg Beer, and Littering. The arrest warrant was a result of an investigation conducted by EnCon Police Officer Laura Gregonis. On 9/24/05, Officer Gregonis received an anonymous tip that there had been a keg party at Shenipsit State Forest in Stafford on the previous evening. She went to the scene and found that the locked gate had been opened and she observed a partial keg of beer, numerous open and unopened containers of beer and liquor, empty plastic cups, litter, a ¾ full prescription drug bottle, a handheld scale commonly used to weigh narcotics, a pocketbook containing a marijuana pipe and a cell phone. Officer Gregonis was able to interview four of the people who attended the keg party and with their statements was able to obtain the arrest warrant for the supplier of the keg of beer.
Hunting Deer During Closed Hours
On 1/26/06 at 4:45 P.M., Environmental Conservation Police Officer Joe Ruggiero was checking deer hunting activity in Guilford. He observed a parked vehicle with hunting apparel inside. He walked into the woods and was able to overhear a conversation between two hunters utilizing his FM radio scanner. At 5:15 P.M. (15 minutes after legal hunting hours) he observed an archery hunter in a tree stand with an arrow knocked in his bow. At 5:24 p.m. Officer Ruggiero announced his presence and the hunter dropped his arrow from the bow. The hunter was arrested and charged with Hunting Deer during Closed Hours.