MARINE DISTRICT
HUNTING
On the 2nd of the month Officer Chemacki was dispatched to Cockaponsett State Forest in Branford to a report of an illegal Bobcat kill. The Bobcat was found by a local citizen deer hunter. The Bobcat was apparently shot with a 12 gauge slug, the kind of ammunition used to legally hunt deer on state property, and is still under investigation.
Officer’s Chickos and Chemacki were travelling on Route 95 in the Branford area on the 8th when they spotted a hunter leaving his vehicle on the shoulder of the interstate. After making a turn to get in to the opposite lanes of traffic they were able to find the hunter near his vehicle off the shoulder of the road actively hunting deer with a rifle. The hunter stated he thought he was on state property but it was private property, which he had no written permission for. He was arrested for Failure to Carry Written Consent and Criminal Trespass
UNTIMELY DEATH
On the 9th of December, Captain O’Connell, Sgt. Healy and Officers Chemacki and Stanko responded to a report of an untimely death at the Baldwin Bridge Boat Launch in Old Saybrook. A citizen at the launch alerted a Department of Transportation worker that was nearby about a possibly sick person in a vehicle. Environmental Conservation Police, Connecticut State Police and Old Saybrook Police responded and determined that the victim had committed suicide with a firearm.
STATE PARKS
Silver Sands State Park in Milford experienced criminal mischief on the currently under construction boardwalk on the 18thof December when a citizen reported a fire on the partially finished structure. An unknown person or persons lit a fire that caused approximately $5000 worth of damage to the posts and beams that support the deck. Sgt. Kane and Officer Samoraczyck responded. That incident is still under investigation.
FISHING ARRESTS
Marine District Officers conducted dozens of Seafood Dealer inspections in an initiative during the month of December resulting in numerous warnings to violators for various offenses such as undersize lobsters, untagged shellfish and license violations. An arrest was made by Officer Logiodice and Sgt. Kane on December 21st for a seafood dealer manager in Orange for 34 counts of undersize lobsters. The manager had been warned the previous year for exactly the same charge.
WESTERN DISTRICT
Jack-lighting Arrest
On 12/6/2010 EnCon Police Officer Tate Begley observed fresh tire tracks in the snow leading back to a field in Sharon. Officer Begley checked the field and observed a silver pickup truck with a man in full camo dumping corn at the edge of the field. On 12/7/2010 prior to sunrise, Officer Begley returned to the field where he observed two people in the cab of the same pickup truck observed the previous day, parked behind the pile of corn with the truck’s headlights pointed in the direction of the corn pile.
Officer Begley approached the pickup truck and upon checking, located a loaded bolt action .308 rifle in the cab of the truck between the man and woman in the cab. Officer Begley then determined that corn in the field was only 306 feet to neighboring houses. Both suspects, who were determined to be husband and wife, were arrested for Jacklighting, Illegal Deer Hunting over bait and Negligent Hunting 4th degree.
Deer hunter too close to homes.
On 12/16/2010 EnCon Police Officer Keith Williams responded to a complaint of a hunter too close to homes in Newtown. Officer Williams found the hunter, a resident of Vermont, in a camouflage hunting blind at the rear of a house. Officer Williams approached the blind and observed a single individual sitting on a milk crate inside the blind with a muzzleloading rifle. Officer Williams determined from the subject that he did have written permission to be within 500 feet of the house he was directly behind, however it was determined that ground blind was set up 231 feet away from one neighbor’s residence, 315 feet away from a second residence and 363 feet from a third residence. All three of the houses were visible from the blind. Officer Williams arrested the subject for Negligent Hunting in the 4th degree and released him on a $500.00 cash bond.
Raw Sewage dumped into Lake Lillinonah
On 12/30/10 EnCon Police Officer Britni Scatena responded to a complaint in Southbury that raw sewage was being discharged from a mobile home directly into Lake Lillinonah. The complaint was called in by a fisherman. Officer Scatena located the mobile home and verified the discharge. She then contacted the DEP HazMat Unit who responded. After determining that the discharge was sewage, the HazMat Inspector notified the local health department for further enforcement action.
Eastern District:
Hunting Enforcement:
On 12/11/10, EnCon Police Officer J. Williams received a complaint of hunters trespassing on Searles Road in Pomfret. Officer Williams searched the area and found two subjects deer hunting. Both individuals did not have written consent for the property. Both parties were arrested for Criminal Trespass 3rd degree and Deer hunting without written consent.
On 12/18/10, EnCon Police officers from the Eastern and Western Districts responded to the Town of Ellington for a report of a hunting related shooting resulting in injuries to another hunter. Upon arrival it was determined that the injured party was shot in the lower leg with a muzzleloader. The EnCon Police Hunting Related Shooting Incident team is currently reconstructing the scene and the State Police will investigate the incident.
On 12/20/10 at approximately 4:20 PM, EnCon Police Officer Pyznar was driving past Gay City State Park in Hebron when he observed two hunters leaving a nearby residence and enter the woods near the park. Both individuals were not wearing orange and were carrying long guns. Officer Pyznar entered the state park property where he observed the two subjects. Both individuals claimed they were deer hunting with consent of a nearby landowner. It should be noted that it was currently muzzleloader deer season and one subject was in possession of a .308 rifle. The subjects were charged with Criminal Trespass 3rd degree, Hunting without the required fluorescent orange clothing, Illegal deer hunting and Failure to have landowner’s consent.
On 12/29/10, EnCon Police Officer Vroman received a complaint from the caretaker of the Audubon property in Pomfret of his discovery of a fresh blood trail leading from the property to a local residence. Officer Vroman followed the trail to a house where he talked to the homeowner who stated that he had shot the deer. Officer Vroman’s investigation resulted in the discovery of three deer that were killed. The subject was charged with three counts of illegal hunting and possession of deer. Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
Connecticut State Environmental Conservation Police
Captain Raul Camejo raul.camejo@ct.gov
HUNTING
On the 2nd of the month Officer Chemacki was dispatched to Cockaponsett State Forest in Branford to a report of an illegal Bobcat kill. The Bobcat was found by a local citizen deer hunter. The Bobcat was apparently shot with a 12 gauge slug, the kind of ammunition used to legally hunt deer on state property, and is still under investigation.
Officer’s Chickos and Chemacki were travelling on Route 95 in the Branford area on the 8th when they spotted a hunter leaving his vehicle on the shoulder of the interstate. After making a turn to get in to the opposite lanes of traffic they were able to find the hunter near his vehicle off the shoulder of the road actively hunting deer with a rifle. The hunter stated he thought he was on state property but it was private property, which he had no written permission for. He was arrested for Failure to Carry Written Consent and Criminal Trespass
UNTIMELY DEATH
On the 9th of December, Captain O’Connell, Sgt. Healy and Officers Chemacki and Stanko responded to a report of an untimely death at the Baldwin Bridge Boat Launch in Old Saybrook. A citizen at the launch alerted a Department of Transportation worker that was nearby about a possibly sick person in a vehicle. Environmental Conservation Police, Connecticut State Police and Old Saybrook Police responded and determined that the victim had committed suicide with a firearm.
STATE PARKS
Silver Sands State Park in Milford experienced criminal mischief on the currently under construction boardwalk on the 18thof December when a citizen reported a fire on the partially finished structure. An unknown person or persons lit a fire that caused approximately $5000 worth of damage to the posts and beams that support the deck. Sgt. Kane and Officer Samoraczyck responded. That incident is still under investigation.
FISHING ARRESTS
Marine District Officers conducted dozens of Seafood Dealer inspections in an initiative during the month of December resulting in numerous warnings to violators for various offenses such as undersize lobsters, untagged shellfish and license violations. An arrest was made by Officer Logiodice and Sgt. Kane on December 21st for a seafood dealer manager in Orange for 34 counts of undersize lobsters. The manager had been warned the previous year for exactly the same charge.
WESTERN DISTRICT
Jack-lighting Arrest
On 12/6/2010 EnCon Police Officer Tate Begley observed fresh tire tracks in the snow leading back to a field in Sharon. Officer Begley checked the field and observed a silver pickup truck with a man in full camo dumping corn at the edge of the field. On 12/7/2010 prior to sunrise, Officer Begley returned to the field where he observed two people in the cab of the same pickup truck observed the previous day, parked behind the pile of corn with the truck’s headlights pointed in the direction of the corn pile.
Officer Begley approached the pickup truck and upon checking, located a loaded bolt action .308 rifle in the cab of the truck between the man and woman in the cab. Officer Begley then determined that corn in the field was only 306 feet to neighboring houses. Both suspects, who were determined to be husband and wife, were arrested for Jacklighting, Illegal Deer Hunting over bait and Negligent Hunting 4th degree.
Deer hunter too close to homes.
On 12/16/2010 EnCon Police Officer Keith Williams responded to a complaint of a hunter too close to homes in Newtown. Officer Williams found the hunter, a resident of Vermont, in a camouflage hunting blind at the rear of a house. Officer Williams approached the blind and observed a single individual sitting on a milk crate inside the blind with a muzzleloading rifle. Officer Williams determined from the subject that he did have written permission to be within 500 feet of the house he was directly behind, however it was determined that ground blind was set up 231 feet away from one neighbor’s residence, 315 feet away from a second residence and 363 feet from a third residence. All three of the houses were visible from the blind. Officer Williams arrested the subject for Negligent Hunting in the 4th degree and released him on a $500.00 cash bond.
Raw Sewage dumped into Lake Lillinonah
On 12/30/10 EnCon Police Officer Britni Scatena responded to a complaint in Southbury that raw sewage was being discharged from a mobile home directly into Lake Lillinonah. The complaint was called in by a fisherman. Officer Scatena located the mobile home and verified the discharge. She then contacted the DEP HazMat Unit who responded. After determining that the discharge was sewage, the HazMat Inspector notified the local health department for further enforcement action.
Eastern District:
Hunting Enforcement:
On 12/11/10, EnCon Police Officer J. Williams received a complaint of hunters trespassing on Searles Road in Pomfret. Officer Williams searched the area and found two subjects deer hunting. Both individuals did not have written consent for the property. Both parties were arrested for Criminal Trespass 3rd degree and Deer hunting without written consent.
On 12/18/10, EnCon Police officers from the Eastern and Western Districts responded to the Town of Ellington for a report of a hunting related shooting resulting in injuries to another hunter. Upon arrival it was determined that the injured party was shot in the lower leg with a muzzleloader. The EnCon Police Hunting Related Shooting Incident team is currently reconstructing the scene and the State Police will investigate the incident.
On 12/20/10 at approximately 4:20 PM, EnCon Police Officer Pyznar was driving past Gay City State Park in Hebron when he observed two hunters leaving a nearby residence and enter the woods near the park. Both individuals were not wearing orange and were carrying long guns. Officer Pyznar entered the state park property where he observed the two subjects. Both individuals claimed they were deer hunting with consent of a nearby landowner. It should be noted that it was currently muzzleloader deer season and one subject was in possession of a .308 rifle. The subjects were charged with Criminal Trespass 3rd degree, Hunting without the required fluorescent orange clothing, Illegal deer hunting and Failure to have landowner’s consent.
On 12/29/10, EnCon Police Officer Vroman received a complaint from the caretaker of the Audubon property in Pomfret of his discovery of a fresh blood trail leading from the property to a local residence. Officer Vroman followed the trail to a house where he talked to the homeowner who stated that he had shot the deer. Officer Vroman’s investigation resulted in the discovery of three deer that were killed. The subject was charged with three counts of illegal hunting and possession of deer. Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
Connecticut State Environmental Conservation Police
Captain Raul Camejo raul.camejo@ct.gov