Deer Shot From Patrol Car Costs Two Ashley County, Arkansas Deputies Their Jobs

[chewy]

Deer Shot From Patrol Car Costs Two Ashley County, Arkansas Deputies Their Jobs


Associated Press

HAMBURG, Ark. (AP) -- Shooting deer at night with the use of a bright light to daze the animals - spotlighting, it's called - is illegal in Arkansas, but that didn't stop two Ashley County deputies from bagging a big buck from a patrol truck in December.

The deer killed with the help of a spotlight on the patrol vehicle had a 12-point rack, and was entered in big-buck contests in Arkansas and Louisiana, authorities said.

The deputies - Jeff Spurlock and Dan Wiggins - are now former deputies, according to Ashley County Sheriff James Robinson.

``We just can't have those kind of things going on,'' Robinson said. ``We are supposed to be the good guys, not the violators.''

The sheriff said the two were fired Monday after they were charged with the misdemeanor violation of state Game and Fish Commission regulations, Robinson said.

Spurlock and Wiggins do not have listed phone numbers and could not be reached for comment.

Officials said several people complained to Game and Fish officers after the deer was entered in the Ashley County Big Buck Classic.

``The (informant) stated the deer ... was leading the contest and he did not think that it was right that an illegal deer might win the contest,'' according to a G&FC report.

Another informant said the deer the deputies killed also had been entered in the Simmons Big Buck Contest in Bastrop, La. Yet another informant told officers he had seen the deputies night hunting about 4 a.m. on Dec. 11.

The deer Wiggins entered in the Ashley County Big Buck Classic would have won the contest had Wiggins not removed it from consideration by last week, said Beverly Rice, who helps organize the contest.












Why do we do stupid things like this?

[FloridaLEO]

Why do we do stupid things like this?

They most likely had waaaaay too much time on their hands and couldn't pass up winning the contest. That contest won't pay the retirement checks that they won't ever see.

[ngcsubutterbar]

not only is spotlighting like that illegal here so is killing it from a vehicle. I'd like to know how an informant just happened to see this at 4am. ????

[DolphinTattoos]

``The (informant) stated the deer ... was leading the contest and he did not think that it was right that an illegal deer might win the contest,'' according to a G&FC report.

If the informant's morals were in order, they would have reported it as soon as they knew of it, not waited until it was about to win, then decide it was unethical to put the deer into the contest.

I don't disagree that it was wrong to even shoot the deer though.

[PAed]

If the informant's morals were in order, they would have reported it as soon as they knew of it, not waited until it was about to win, then decide it was unethical to put the deer into the contest.

I don't disagree that it was wrong to even shoot the deer though.

Chances are that it suddenly became unethical when the informant realized he was in second place in that contest.

But seriously, I know in Maryland it is illegal to spotlight a deer even without shooting it.