Good Samaritans Face Fine After Rescuing Deer From Icy Water

[Silent_Bob]

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2010/12/17/good-samaritans-face-fine-after-rescuing-deer-from-icy-water/

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) – They fought to save a life, and now they say they'll fight the fine.

It all revolves around the rescue of a deer trapped in icy water Thursday night.

Alex DeMetrick reports that good deed was rewarded with tickets.

Strangers banded together to pull a deer out of the freezing water of the Patapsco River on Thursday night.

"We seen the deer going under," said Khalil Abusakran. "It couldn't maintain.  It was starting to freeze, and it was really getting bad."

Abusakran brought a raft, and Jim Hart joined him.

"We had oars and shovels to break the ice, for the deer to get out," Abusakran said.

But in the excited aftermath of the rescue, a natural resources police officer on the scene wrote both men a ticket.

"And he didn't say anything," Jim Hart said. "We went in and out of the water numerous times.  He didn't stop us at all."

They say they were ticketed for not wearing life vests, although both are over the age for mandatory use of flotation devices.

"No, we didn't have vests on, but we're not 16 years old," Abusakran said. "There were personal floating devices on the boat."

The ticket itself doesn't check off any specific violation, just a $90 fine.

They'll fight it in court, as they fought for the deer.

The two men ticketed say they will fight the citations at the court hearing in Annapolis set for Feb. 18.

[Lloyd Danforth]

They put two of the King's subjects at risk for one of the King's deer.

[Jim Johnson]

"We're runn'g out of money.  You want'a keep yur job?  Write tickets!"

[John]

"The ticket itself doesn't check off any specific violation, just a $90 fine."

WELL, that says what it is all about right there.

The coppers need to drop the charges - like right now - so that these people don't need to waist any more of their time.
I wounder what the phone # at that "natural resources" cop shop is? Shame on them!

[John]

January 27, 2009 Contact: Sgt. Ken Turner
410-260-8003 8850 office
kturner@dnr.state.md.us


The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) is the enforcement arm of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With an authorized strength of 280 officers and a dedicated staff of civilian and volunteer personnel, the NRP provide a variety of services in addition to conservation and boating law enforcement duties throughout the State of Maryland. These services include homeland security, search and rescue, emergency medical services, education, information and communications services on a round the clock basis. NRP is the only police force aside from the Maryland State Police that has statewide jurisdiction.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages nearly one-half million acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov

[John]

The first # sends you to the next # and that # goes to someone with a different name's mesage asking you to call his cellphone, but lets you leave a message.

[KBCraig]

This is Maryland, we don't need no steenkin' reason. Now pay up!

[CJS]

   Myself and a guy I was working with named Dave came upon a yearling laying by her dead mother . The baby deer wouldn't / couldn't stand up and was about to be put down by a willow springs cop. Dave knew the cop and asked if we could take him to a vet or something instead . The cop showed a moment of mercy and let us take it.

We went to the local vet and that vet informed us we were breaking the law by trying to save a "prey" animal. In the great sate of illinois no one is allowed to take any measures to save any wild life that is not at the top of the food chain  ie Wolf . Coyote , Eagle or Hawk . Of course that only made us smile . We went to a vet Daves wife knew and he put us in touch with a woman who was involved in an " underground " (lol) rescue group . Problem solved .

I hate this state ... I think there is a law or regulation covering just about every move I make every moment of my life .. and the fines are even higher here , I am sure if we were caught by a conservation cop we would have been caged .

[John]

no one is allowed to take any measures to save

Interesting.
But it would be OK if the cop killed it.
Interesting, but not surprising.