October Highlights
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MARINE DISTRICT
Blackfish Violation
On 10/22/09, EnCon Police Officer Logiodice received a complaint that a fisherman out of Cove Island Park in Stamford was keeping more than his daily creel limit of blackfish. The daily creel limit is four blackfish per day and the complaint was that the fisherman had gone out once in the morning, placed several blackfish in a holding car and went back out fishing. Officer Logiodice and Officer Hey waited for the suspect to return to the dock in his vessel. When the subject returned to the dock, the officers approached the suspect and inspected his holding car which was tied to his dock. The officers discovered thirteen blackfish in the holding car, which is nine fish over the legal possession limit. The subject was issued a citation for the violation and the fish were seized.
Illegal Deer Hunting
On 10/17/09, EnCon Police Officer Hey was patrolling a section of private land in Milford checking for deer hunting activity. He observed a subject hunting with archery equipment in a tree stand and approached the subject to inspect his license. The subject could not produce a valid hunting license and believed he left it in his vehicle. The subject could not locate his archery hunting license and a computer check revealed that the subject never got his 2009 archery hunting license. The subject was issued a summons for the violation and released.
EASTERN DISTRICT
Hunting Accidents/Medical Emergencies
On 10/2/09, EnCon Police Officer Vroman responded to a complaint of a hunter who was climbing into her tree stand in Scotland preparing to bow hunt deer when she slipped and fell approximately 20 feet, injuring her back and both legs, requiring emergency surgery. The victim was airlifted by Life star to St. Francis Hospital.
On 10/20/09, EnCon Police Officer Lindo responded to a complaint of a hunter that required medical assistance in Haddam. The victim had suffered a seizure and was transported by medical personnel.
On 10/20/09, EnCon Police Capt. Overturf, Sgt. Wolfe and Officer Golet responded to a complaint of a body in Haddam Meadows State Park and Boat Launch in Haddam. The victim had died at the scene and the EnCon Police are assisting the Connecticut State Police Major Crime squad with the investigation.
Marijuana Eradication
Eastern District Officers had three complaints of marijuana grow operations in October. The first was in Natchaug State Forest in Chaplin and was handled by Officer Williams and the others were handled by Officer Danielson in Nathan Hale State Forest in Coventry and Franklin Swamp Wildlife Management Area in Franklin. There were no arrests and the marijuana was eradicated.
Narcotics Arrests
On 10/15/09, EnCon Police Officer Williams arrested an individual for numerous narcotics charges at the Quinnebaug River Boat Launch in Canterbury. He had encountered an individual in the parking area who was packaging marijuana for sale he had bought earlier in the day, and was found to be in possession of marijuana, paraphernalia and packaging materials.
Hunting Arrests
On 10/15/09, opening day for waterfowl hunting, EnCon Police Officer Ruggiero encountered an individual who was waterfowl hunting in Wangunk Meadows without a federal Duck Stamp. He was referred to Connecticut’s Federal Fish and Wildlife Agent.
On 10/17/09, opening day of small game season, EnCon Police Officer Danielson responded to a complaint of illegal small game hunting in Enfield and arrested three individuals for charges related to trespass and failure to have verbal permission. Later in the afternoon the same complainant called and reported that there were several more hunters on the property without permission and Officer Pyznar responded and arrested two individuals for similar charges.
Racial Bias/Bigotry Graffiti
On 10/21/09, EnCon Police Officer Ruggiero initiated an investigation into the spray painting of graffiti on the dam at Messerschmidt’s Pond in Deep River. The disturbing messages were racially offensive and the Connecticut State Police are assisting with the investigation and the Governor’s Office has issued a press release
WESTERN DISTRICT
Septic Truck Illegally Dumping Waste
On 10/5/09, EnCon Police Officer Tomassone was on patrol in Goshen. As he rounded the corner before North Goshen Road he noticed a septic pumping truck heading from North Goshen Road onto East Street North in a northerly direction. As Officer Tomassone pulled onto North Goshen Road heading west, he noted an extremely strong smell of sewage. Around the same time he noticed where it appeared a significant amount (approximately 50 gallons) of what appeared to be raw sewage had been released just past the stop sign on the south side of North Goshen Road. The smell was extremely noxious and strong enough that it had obviously just been released. Officer Tomassone noted that the grass in the area had been 'washed' down with the sewage and it appeared to have come from a high capacity hose or other stationary unit. There was still a puddle of grey matter and liquid in the middle of the downed grass.
Officer Tomassone also noticed a large spot in the roadway approximately twenty yards west of the stop sign on North Goshen Road that appeared to have been 'washed' with sewage as well. This second spot was still wet and running off onto the side of the roadway. This spot covered the entire south half of North Goshen Road covering an area approximately ten feet by ten feet. Officer Tomassone estimated this spot to have been a spillage of approximately 25 gallons. As he continued further west on North Goshen Road and approximately 250 yards further, Officer Tomassone found a third area that had some amount of sewage. Again, this area was on the south side of the roadway and in this spot it appeared that the spillage was entirely off the roadway and into the roadside drainage. The surrounding area is Torrington Water Company land and is all watershed area, ultimately leading to Reuben Hart Reservoir in Torrington.
Officer Tomassone set off in immediate pursuit of the septic tanker truck that he had just seen in the area. Officer Tomassone caught up with the possible offending vehicle and recognized it as the one he had seen a few minutes earlier. Officer Tomassone questioned the driver about the sewage spilled on North Goshen Road and initially the driver told Officer Tomassone that he had no idea what he was talking about. When Officer Tomassone advised the driver that he had seen him on North Goshen Road the driver then claimed that the valve on a small pipe on the rear of the tanker must have leaked. Due to the volume of the spills, the DEP HazMat Division was notified and responded to the scene.
Officer Tomassone determined that the driver had pumped a septic tank on North Goshen Rd just before he was seen leaving the area and that the spill was not caused by a leak, but had been intentionally dumped alongside the road by the driver. Officer Tomassone arrested the driver for Failure to Secure a load and for a Water Pollution Control violation.
Hunting Related Shooting on Opening Day
On 10/17/09, EnCon Police Sergeant K. Schneider and Officers Hilli and Tomassone responded to a Hunting Related Shooting at the DEP owned Robbins Swamp Wildlife Management Area in Canaan. Members of the EnCon Police Hunting Related Shooting Investigation Team determined that the victim had been pheasant hunting at Robbins Swamp with another hunter. At approximately 10:30am, while crossing an open field the victim was struck with bird shot when a hunter in a group approximately 75 yards away in the field shot a pheasant. The victim was struck in the face, head, neck and arm and transported to Sharon Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The hunter who fired the shot was arrested by EnCon Police and charged with Negligent Hunting in the 2nd Degree. The hunter was released on a written promise to appear in court at Bantam on 11/02/09.
Suicide in Quinnipiac Marsh
On 10/19/09, EnCon Police were dispatched to the Quinnipiac Marsh access area off of Sackett Point Road in North Haven on a report of an overdue waterfowl hunter. Officer Scatena arrived and met numerous North Haven Fire Department Personnel who were on scene. The scene commander from the North Haven Fire Department advised Officer Scatena that there was a missing person which possibly involved a water rescue. A fire department vessel with two of the fire department personnel began a search of the marsh. The vessel returned to the boat launch area and the firefighters advised Officer Scatena that they located the missing individual who was deceased. EnCon Police Sergeant K. Schneider and the EnCon Police Hunting Related Shooting Investigation Team (HRSIT) were dispatched to the scene as the victim had suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. Upon reconstructing the incident scene, members of the HRSIT determined that the gunshot wound the victim had suffered was self inflicted and was not accidental or criminal in nature. Based upon the evidence located at the scene along with additional information developed from the victim’s family members, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that the victim’s cause of death was a suicide.
IHEA Academy
During the first week of October, EnCon Police Sergeant K. Schneider and Officer Hilli travelled to Tallahassee, Florida where they served on the Training Cadre for the International Hunter Education Association’s “Hunting Incident Academy”. The IHEA Hunting Incident Academy provides training for investigators who work on hunter injury and fatality incidents.
IHEA’s Hunting Incident Academies bring together some of North America's most experienced hunting incident investigators and forensics experts to help instruct law enforcement personnel the best approach to hunting incident investigations. Topics such as how to find evidence, how to document it, and how to report it are covered. The course was attended by 36 investigators from 7 different states. Sergeant Schneider currently serves as the supervisor of the CT EnCon Police Hunting Related Shooting Investigation Team. Officer Hilli is also a member of the team.
__________________
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
Connecticut State Environmental Conservation Police
Captain Raul Camejo raul.camejo@ct.gov
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MARINE DISTRICT
Blackfish Violation
On 10/22/09, EnCon Police Officer Logiodice received a complaint that a fisherman out of Cove Island Park in Stamford was keeping more than his daily creel limit of blackfish. The daily creel limit is four blackfish per day and the complaint was that the fisherman had gone out once in the morning, placed several blackfish in a holding car and went back out fishing. Officer Logiodice and Officer Hey waited for the suspect to return to the dock in his vessel. When the subject returned to the dock, the officers approached the suspect and inspected his holding car which was tied to his dock. The officers discovered thirteen blackfish in the holding car, which is nine fish over the legal possession limit. The subject was issued a citation for the violation and the fish were seized.
Illegal Deer Hunting
On 10/17/09, EnCon Police Officer Hey was patrolling a section of private land in Milford checking for deer hunting activity. He observed a subject hunting with archery equipment in a tree stand and approached the subject to inspect his license. The subject could not produce a valid hunting license and believed he left it in his vehicle. The subject could not locate his archery hunting license and a computer check revealed that the subject never got his 2009 archery hunting license. The subject was issued a summons for the violation and released.
EASTERN DISTRICT
Hunting Accidents/Medical Emergencies
On 10/2/09, EnCon Police Officer Vroman responded to a complaint of a hunter who was climbing into her tree stand in Scotland preparing to bow hunt deer when she slipped and fell approximately 20 feet, injuring her back and both legs, requiring emergency surgery. The victim was airlifted by Life star to St. Francis Hospital.
On 10/20/09, EnCon Police Officer Lindo responded to a complaint of a hunter that required medical assistance in Haddam. The victim had suffered a seizure and was transported by medical personnel.
On 10/20/09, EnCon Police Capt. Overturf, Sgt. Wolfe and Officer Golet responded to a complaint of a body in Haddam Meadows State Park and Boat Launch in Haddam. The victim had died at the scene and the EnCon Police are assisting the Connecticut State Police Major Crime squad with the investigation.
Marijuana Eradication
Eastern District Officers had three complaints of marijuana grow operations in October. The first was in Natchaug State Forest in Chaplin and was handled by Officer Williams and the others were handled by Officer Danielson in Nathan Hale State Forest in Coventry and Franklin Swamp Wildlife Management Area in Franklin. There were no arrests and the marijuana was eradicated.
Narcotics Arrests
On 10/15/09, EnCon Police Officer Williams arrested an individual for numerous narcotics charges at the Quinnebaug River Boat Launch in Canterbury. He had encountered an individual in the parking area who was packaging marijuana for sale he had bought earlier in the day, and was found to be in possession of marijuana, paraphernalia and packaging materials.
Hunting Arrests
On 10/15/09, opening day for waterfowl hunting, EnCon Police Officer Ruggiero encountered an individual who was waterfowl hunting in Wangunk Meadows without a federal Duck Stamp. He was referred to Connecticut’s Federal Fish and Wildlife Agent.
On 10/17/09, opening day of small game season, EnCon Police Officer Danielson responded to a complaint of illegal small game hunting in Enfield and arrested three individuals for charges related to trespass and failure to have verbal permission. Later in the afternoon the same complainant called and reported that there were several more hunters on the property without permission and Officer Pyznar responded and arrested two individuals for similar charges.
Racial Bias/Bigotry Graffiti
On 10/21/09, EnCon Police Officer Ruggiero initiated an investigation into the spray painting of graffiti on the dam at Messerschmidt’s Pond in Deep River. The disturbing messages were racially offensive and the Connecticut State Police are assisting with the investigation and the Governor’s Office has issued a press release
WESTERN DISTRICT
Septic Truck Illegally Dumping Waste
On 10/5/09, EnCon Police Officer Tomassone was on patrol in Goshen. As he rounded the corner before North Goshen Road he noticed a septic pumping truck heading from North Goshen Road onto East Street North in a northerly direction. As Officer Tomassone pulled onto North Goshen Road heading west, he noted an extremely strong smell of sewage. Around the same time he noticed where it appeared a significant amount (approximately 50 gallons) of what appeared to be raw sewage had been released just past the stop sign on the south side of North Goshen Road. The smell was extremely noxious and strong enough that it had obviously just been released. Officer Tomassone noted that the grass in the area had been 'washed' down with the sewage and it appeared to have come from a high capacity hose or other stationary unit. There was still a puddle of grey matter and liquid in the middle of the downed grass.
Officer Tomassone also noticed a large spot in the roadway approximately twenty yards west of the stop sign on North Goshen Road that appeared to have been 'washed' with sewage as well. This second spot was still wet and running off onto the side of the roadway. This spot covered the entire south half of North Goshen Road covering an area approximately ten feet by ten feet. Officer Tomassone estimated this spot to have been a spillage of approximately 25 gallons. As he continued further west on North Goshen Road and approximately 250 yards further, Officer Tomassone found a third area that had some amount of sewage. Again, this area was on the south side of the roadway and in this spot it appeared that the spillage was entirely off the roadway and into the roadside drainage. The surrounding area is Torrington Water Company land and is all watershed area, ultimately leading to Reuben Hart Reservoir in Torrington.
Officer Tomassone set off in immediate pursuit of the septic tanker truck that he had just seen in the area. Officer Tomassone caught up with the possible offending vehicle and recognized it as the one he had seen a few minutes earlier. Officer Tomassone questioned the driver about the sewage spilled on North Goshen Road and initially the driver told Officer Tomassone that he had no idea what he was talking about. When Officer Tomassone advised the driver that he had seen him on North Goshen Road the driver then claimed that the valve on a small pipe on the rear of the tanker must have leaked. Due to the volume of the spills, the DEP HazMat Division was notified and responded to the scene.
Officer Tomassone determined that the driver had pumped a septic tank on North Goshen Rd just before he was seen leaving the area and that the spill was not caused by a leak, but had been intentionally dumped alongside the road by the driver. Officer Tomassone arrested the driver for Failure to Secure a load and for a Water Pollution Control violation.
Hunting Related Shooting on Opening Day
On 10/17/09, EnCon Police Sergeant K. Schneider and Officers Hilli and Tomassone responded to a Hunting Related Shooting at the DEP owned Robbins Swamp Wildlife Management Area in Canaan. Members of the EnCon Police Hunting Related Shooting Investigation Team determined that the victim had been pheasant hunting at Robbins Swamp with another hunter. At approximately 10:30am, while crossing an open field the victim was struck with bird shot when a hunter in a group approximately 75 yards away in the field shot a pheasant. The victim was struck in the face, head, neck and arm and transported to Sharon Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The hunter who fired the shot was arrested by EnCon Police and charged with Negligent Hunting in the 2nd Degree. The hunter was released on a written promise to appear in court at Bantam on 11/02/09.
Suicide in Quinnipiac Marsh
On 10/19/09, EnCon Police were dispatched to the Quinnipiac Marsh access area off of Sackett Point Road in North Haven on a report of an overdue waterfowl hunter. Officer Scatena arrived and met numerous North Haven Fire Department Personnel who were on scene. The scene commander from the North Haven Fire Department advised Officer Scatena that there was a missing person which possibly involved a water rescue. A fire department vessel with two of the fire department personnel began a search of the marsh. The vessel returned to the boat launch area and the firefighters advised Officer Scatena that they located the missing individual who was deceased. EnCon Police Sergeant K. Schneider and the EnCon Police Hunting Related Shooting Investigation Team (HRSIT) were dispatched to the scene as the victim had suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. Upon reconstructing the incident scene, members of the HRSIT determined that the gunshot wound the victim had suffered was self inflicted and was not accidental or criminal in nature. Based upon the evidence located at the scene along with additional information developed from the victim’s family members, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that the victim’s cause of death was a suicide.
IHEA Academy
During the first week of October, EnCon Police Sergeant K. Schneider and Officer Hilli travelled to Tallahassee, Florida where they served on the Training Cadre for the International Hunter Education Association’s “Hunting Incident Academy”. The IHEA Hunting Incident Academy provides training for investigators who work on hunter injury and fatality incidents.
IHEA’s Hunting Incident Academies bring together some of North America's most experienced hunting incident investigators and forensics experts to help instruct law enforcement personnel the best approach to hunting incident investigations. Topics such as how to find evidence, how to document it, and how to report it are covered. The course was attended by 36 investigators from 7 different states. Sergeant Schneider currently serves as the supervisor of the CT EnCon Police Hunting Related Shooting Investigation Team. Officer Hilli is also a member of the team.
__________________
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
Connecticut State Environmental Conservation Police
Captain Raul Camejo raul.camejo@ct.gov