Bull Elk #21 Poached Inside Great Smokey Mountain National Park

Park Rangers discovered the body of Bull Elk 21, part of the experimental elk herd that’s been introduced to the Smoky Mountain National Park, in one of the meadows. Investigators have already identified a suspect and an arrest is believed to be eminent.

The suspect in the shooting was found through witnesses’ descriptions of a 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche that was seen leaving the area. A National Park Service special agent then located the suspect at his home in Granville County, according to the press release. Park spokesman Bob Miller said it is not policy to release the name of the special agent involved.
Miller said the suspect’s name will be released when charges against him are filed with the U.S. Attorney. Charges should come by the end of the week, he said.
The suspect could be charged with a number of different things including taking of wildlife in a national park or possession of a weapon, said Miller.
He did not know what kind of weapon the suspect used.
Anyone convicted of poaching in national parks can face a $5,000 fine and/or six months in jail.

Knox News

I travel into the valley a few times a year to see the elk and photograph them. This photograph was one I took of the #21 Bull on my last trip in the Cataloochee Valley. The killing of this bull is such a waste and I hope they throw the book at this poacher.

North Carolina Wildlife Federation Calls on Governor Perdue to Clean Up North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Appointments

The State Board of Elections concluded their hearings last week into the former Governor’s administration turning it over to the district attorney’s office because it appears state laws were violated. As part of the hearings allegations that seats on the Wildlife Commission were up for sale was testified to under oath. Now the North Carolina Wildlife Federation has passed a resolution asking the current Governor to fix this problem;

THE NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE FEDERATION CALL TO UPHOLD THE INTEGRITY AND CREDIBILITY OF THE WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION AND THE PROCESS BY WHICH COMMISSIONERS ARE APPOINTED

WHEREAS sworn testimony in the recent hearings of the Board of Elections regarding irregularities in the Mike Easley for Governor Campaign of 2004 alleged that the appointment of certain commissioners to the Wildlife Resources Commission was predicated upon political donations of over $100,000; and,

WHEREAS Wildlife Commissioners serve a crucial and sensitive role as guardians of the fish and wildlife resources of North Carolina that demands the highest level of integrity and objectivity as they establish rules and policies to guide the agency in its mission to provide a sound and representative fish and wildlife conservation program; and,

WHEREAS the North Carolina Wildlife Federation was formed in 1945 on the premise that fish and wildlife conservation programs must be conducted in a manner beneficial to the resource and representative of citizens who value and enjoy outdoor recreational activities and was instrumental in the establishment of the Wildlife Resources Commission in 1947 based upon that principle; and,

WHEREAS the alleged circumstances of the appointment of certain North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Commissioners with an expectation of political contributions predicating the nomination is contrary to the law prohibiting the sale of office, erodes public confidence, and casts aspersion on the integrity and operations of the agency and its policy makers.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the North Carolina Wildlife Federation condemns the practice of appointing Wildlife Commissioners based upon political considerations as contrary to the founding principles upon which the Wildlife Resources Commission was created, and calls for appointments to the Commission to be solely based on interest, concern, knowledge, and commitment to the natural resources of our State.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Wildlife Federation, on behalf of all sportsmen and fish and wildlife enthusiasts in North Carolina, calls upon Governor Beverly Perdue to use all the means at her disposal to determine the truth of the allegation that appointments to the Wildlife Resources Commission were made in return for political donations; and, if that allegation is substantiated thereby calling the integrity of the Wildlife Resources Commission into question, the Wildlife Federation further calls upon Governor Perdue to immediately demand the resignations of any individual who were appointed under such circumstances and to appoint duly qualified, representative citizens to serve out those replaced terms thereby restoring as much credibility to the current appointment process and structure of the Wildlife Commission as it and the mission it represents rightly deserves.

I hope sportsmen across the state will stand up and demand that the politics get removed from the Wildlife Commission.

“I Don’t Recall”

The North Carolina State Board of Elections is into day two of the former Governor Easley Campaign Finance Hearing and the testimony so far seem devastating. A number of the former governor’s associates have testified to the committee about efforts to avoid campaign finance laws and donation limits as donations for Easley were washed through the State Democratic Party.
The role of the Allen Brother’s Gary and Randy is of particular interested seeing that both have served as wildlife commissioners (Randy is still a commissioner).

Gary Allen, a developer, doesn’t remember anything about writing two $50,000 checks to the N.C. Democratic Party.
Lanny Wilson, a friend and business associate to Allen, testified Monday that he briefed former Gov. Mike Easley a list of things Allen wanted including his seat on the Wildlife Commission and a permit for a boat dock.

N&O

In an earlier story I asked if there Mr. Randy Allen bought his way on to the Wildlife Commission and it appears that they may be a very valid question.

Six years ago, Wilmington developer Lanny Wilson laid out a five-point plan for Gov. Mike Easley to win a big campaign contribution from Wilson’s business partner.
Wilson wrote in an e-mail to an Easley campaign staffer that Gary Allen, a Charlotte-area developer, would like to keep his appointment on the state Wildlife Commission and needed the governor’s help to get a permit to construct a boat ramp at a Brunswick County subdivision.
Easley, he wrote, should take credit for helping arrange a meeting between Allen and a Progress Energy vice president to discuss land that Allen wanted. And Easley should ask an aide, John Merritt, for background information on Allen to help set him at ease.
Easley was to meet with Allen the following day. By the end of the month, Allen had written a $50,000 check to the N.C. Democratic Party, a contribution that Wilson testified Monday was intended to wind up in Easley’s campaign.
Allen won the boat ramp permit, and Easley reappointed him to the commission in 2004. Easley appointed Gary Allen’s brother and business partner, Randy Allen, to the commission the next year.

Charlotte Observer

Mr. Allen seems to be a lot like Hillary Clinton from years ago with his answer “I don’t recall…”
With the testimony that has been offered so far it seems that there is more than ample evidence to present to a grand jury and to get some indictments.
While to the average citizen the work of the Wildlife Commission may not be something they really think about or realize how it impacts them but for some of us it is extremely important and impacts important areas of our lives and culture. Corruption anywhere cannot be tolerated but the sale of seats at the Wildlife Commission has got to stop. The days of political cronies and political payback in the appointment of Commissioners should be stopped Now.
I’ll not hold my breath waiting for it to happen but I hope there is a price to pay for those who put their integrity up for sale. I hope that as the musical chairs get shuffled that the former governor does not leave everyone else holding the bag if he is guilty he should be treated just like the criminals he took down as the State Attorney General.

Other Stories I’ve Done

Feds Investigate Possible Corruption in Wildlife Commissioner Appointment

North Carolina’s Own “White Water”

Commissioner Randy Allen Buy His Way On To The NCWRC?

Commissioner Randy Allen Buy His Way On To The NCWRC?

There is certainly a lot of questions swirling around about Commissioner Allen’s association with former Governor Michael Easley and a sweetheart land deal the governor got on a waterfront lot. Randy Allen besides being a Wildlife Commissioner he is also the president of RA North Development. As I had reported earlier state news organizations were digging into the land deal between the then Governor of North Carolina and RA North Development. The News and Observer has obtained the documents showing the lot sold well below what at the time would appear to be fair market value and after developers obtained expedited wastewater permits so the project could be done ;

The permit was granted on June 8, 2005. Twelve days later, the Easleys wrote a $5,000 check for earnest money for Lot 514, a choice parcel on the Cannonsgate waterfront.
The governor’s former spokeswoman said in 2006 that the lot was intended as an investment for the Easleys. They own homes in Raleigh and Southport.
The original contract on the Cannonsgate lot, signed on Nov. 30, 2005, showed a price of $549,880.
Reviews of that price, including analyses by the Carolina Journal and The Charlotte Observer, indicated that it was a good deal compared with nearby sales. Two weeks before the Easleys closed, for example, two deeper but narrower waterfront lots nearby sold for $699,000 each. And in 2007, the Easley lot was valued for taxes at $1.2 million, although it would be worth far less in today’s market.
But the publicly listed price of $549,880 was not what the Easleys paid, according to the closing documents.
They signed a deal dated Dec. 15 that included a “seller discount” of 25 percent, which was worth $137,470, the settlement statement shows. That brought the Easleys’ cost down to $412,410.
The Easleys got a loan from BB&T for $494,000, an amount based on the original contract and more than the actual purchase price. They had paid $54,988 down. Because of the discount, they took $135,000 away from the closing.

Charlotte Observer

If this was not suspicious enough this all took place around the same time that Governor Easley appointed Randy Allen to the Wildlife Commission. As federal investigators pour over the mounds of possible corruption and questionable deals involving the Easley’s and their cronies one has to wonder how effective Commissioner Allen can be. The appearance of a quid pro quo in the appointment of Commissioner Allen seems likely and one has to wonder whose interests he might represent.
The recent history here in North Carolina has been that corrupt politicians do get indicted, convicted and sent to prison. Meg & Jim can tell you all about that.

N&O Editorial

Vandals Damage NCWRC Bulldozer

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is seeking information on the individual or individuals responsible for damaging a bulldozer on the Sandhills Game Lands in Scotland Neck NC. The bulldozer used to make improvements on game lands was stolen on the evening of August 27th and dumped into Crawford Lake. It was discovered the following day with just a few inches of the cab sticking out of the lake.
Anyone that has information on those responsible are urged to contact Scotland County Sheriff’s Department at (910) 276-3385 or the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Division of Law Enforcement at (800) 662-7137.

Opening Day Fatal Shooting Ruled Justified

SBI investigation shows that Officer Mark Minton was justified in the fatal shooting of Clyde Coffey during the opening minutes of the 2009 wild turkey season. The district attorney will not file any charges against the officer despite the family and some in the community calling for him to do so.
Mr. Coffey was 76 years old and was deaf according to family and legally hunting on his own property.
The SBI investigators confirmed the presence of bait around the treestand Mr. Coffey was hunting from and the stand that his son in law was hunting from. Baiting of turkeys is illegal making both of these men poachers but certainly not a reason anyone had to die.
Why did the Officer Minton shoot Clyde Coffey?

“Through the investigative efforts of the SBI, it was determined that Officer Minton became aware that someone was potentially baiting turkeys on the Clyde Coffey property on Cane Creek Church Road in Wilkes County. Based upon this knowledge, Officer Minton went to that location to determine if anyone was illegally hunting turkey over this baited area,” Horner said.
“Officer Minton initially encountered Larry Dean Helton, later identified as the son-in-law of Clyde Coffey, in a tree stand at one location of the Coffey property. Officer Minton approached Mr. Helton and took enforcement action without incident. In addition, Officer Minton allowed Mr. Helton to ride his ATV down the mountain from this tree stand to another location where Officer Minton would later meet him,” the district attorney said.
“According to statements from Officer Minton, he then proceeded down the mountain alone and on foot to a second tree stand occupied by Clyde Coffey.
“Officer Minton was initially unsuccessful in multiple attempts to get Mr. Coffey’s attention and have him exit the tree stand. At one point after Officer Minton identified himself as a ‘game warden,’ Mr. Coffey stood up in the tree stand and in an agitated tone demanded that the officer leave his property,” Horner said.
“Mr. Coffey continued to not comply with Officer Minton’s commands, causing Officer Minton to radio for assistance to other N.C. Wildlife Resources officers who were several miles away. However, before assistance could arrive, Mr. Coffey descended from the tree stand with his weapon cradled across his arms, disregarding the instructions of Officer Minton to leave the weapon in the stand,” Horner said.
“According to the officer, when Mr. Coffey reached the ground, he advanced towards Officer Minton, holding his weapon in a ‘low ready’ position and pointing it directly at the officer. Officer Minton commanded him multiple times to stop and then retreated up the hill from Mr. Coffey approximately 85 feet from the tree stand as Mr. Coffey continued to pursue Officer Minton with his shotgun pointing at him.
“Mr. Coffey was approximately 25 feet from the officer when again he was told to stop,” Horner said. “Officer Minton stated that he thought Mr. Coffey was going to shoot him; he drew his service weapon, pointed it at Mr. Coffey and fired one round, striking Mr. Coffey in the chest. Mr. Coffey fell immediately.”
“The distance between Mr. Coffey’s body and the base of the tree that Officer Minton fired from was 14 feet. Officer Minton radioed to the other officers that he had shot Mr. Coffey and EMS was requested. Furthermore, Officer Minton attempted CPR on Mr. Coffey without success,” Horner said.
“In the course of the investigation, SBI agents collected ’scratch feed,’ which is commonly used for baiting turkeys, from the area around Mr. Coffey’s tree stand. This feed was consistent with feed located at Mr. Coffey’s residence and with feed located near the tree stand occupied by Larry Helton.
“Agents also determined that Mr. Coffey suffered from hearing loss. According to information provided by the family of Clyde Coffey, the conduct described by Officer Minton was out of character for Mr. Coffey,” the district attorney said.
“North Carolina general statutes authorize a law enforcement officer to arrest someone without a warrant if the officer has probable cause to believe that the individual has committed a criminal offense in their presence,” Horner noted. “Furthermore, a law enforcement officer is justified in using force upon another person when and to the extent that he reasonably believes it necessary: to defend himself . . . from what he reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of physical force while effecting or attempting to affect an arrest. Deadly physical force upon another person is justified… only when it is or appears to be reasonably necessary to defend (oneself)… from what is reasonably believed to be the use or imminent use of deadly physical force.
“After a thorough review of the SBI’s report, interviews with the investigating agents, a review of the appropriate legal standards and in consultation with the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office, it appears that Officer Minton’s actions were reasonable and appropriate in response to the perceived use or imminent use of deadly physical force by Mr. Coffey,” Horner said. “Therefore, criminal prosecution of Officer Minton for the shooting death of Clyde Hill Coffey is not warranted.”

Wilkes Journal Patriot

Unclear from the press release is whether or not Officer Minton was in uniform or not when this happened. Early on there was some speculation the lack of a uniform lead to some of the confusion as to who the officer was.
Game Wardens and Wildlife Officers have some of the most dangerous jobs seeing where many of the individuals are armed that they come in contact with. While some will believe that Officer Minton used excessive force I see that an officer acted the way he was trained so he could go home at the end of his shift. I believe despite the hearing issue that Mr. Coffey knew that this man was a law officer and he made some really poor choices that cost him his life.
Officer Minton while cleared of the potentially more serious criminal charges must now wait for the NCWRC to complete their investigation.

“We appreciate the work of both agencies to resolve this issue,” said Gordon Myers, the executive director of the Commission. “An internal investigation is ongoing and until the investigation is complete, it would not be appropriate for the Commission to comment further.”

NCWRC

Young Hound Stolen In Western North Carolina

Thomas Valley NC: Someone has stolen a hunting dog “Ace” by removing his tracking collar and throwing it off a bridge into the river earlier this month. The collar was recovered from the river and it was obviously unbuckled from the dog. The removing of a tracking collar by anyone other than the owner in many states is illegal. Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of “Ace” or who may have taken him should call
QUINCY CLAYTON-828-269-8768
CHRISTY CLAYTON-828-269-4678
A reward is being offered for Ace’s safe return

Other hunters in the area have also reported hunting dogs going missing or recovering their remains after someone has shot them. We certainly are hopeful that the Clayton’s will have a more positive outcome. Individuals killing hunting dogs cannot be tolerated by a civil society I hope anyone with information on any of these acts would contact the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commissions Enforcement Division or their local law enforcement agency.

Utah Poachers Get Jail Time As Well As Lose of Hunting Privileges

Gary Harp and Gary Smith both plead guilty to numerous game violations after Utah Wildlife officials acting on a tip from the public caught the men with numerous poached animals at their home.

Two Panguitch men who pleaded guilty Thursday to a handful of wildlife violations were sentenced to jail for illegally killing 13 animals. The two poachers also lost their hunting privileges for decades to come.
Gary Harp, 35, pleaded guilty in 6th District Court to two third-degree felonies and three class A misdemeanors and was sentenced by Judge Wallace Lee to 36 months probation and six months in jail.
Gavin Smith, 19, pleaded guilty to one third-degree felony and four class A misdemeanors and was sentenced to probation and 60 days in jail.
The men were also fined $2,500 each and must jointly pay $18,000 in restitution. Their weapons — two .22-caliber rifles and a 30-30 rifle — were confiscated.
Garfield County Attorney Barry Huntington added that Harp could lose his hunting privileges for up to 48 years, and Smith could be banned from hunting for up to 34 years.

Salt Lake Tribune
This was a big story while I was out in Utah getting a lot of play on the news across the state. It would seem that Utah takes its wildlife resources seriously and they work quickly and swiftly to protect them. It also shows the importance of the general public phoning in tips to the poaching hot line in their state.

North Carolina’s Own “White Water”

As the heat gets turned up on the former Governor Mike Easley a North Carolina land deal sounds more and more like another politicians “White Water”. There is no secret that the FBI and Federal Prosecutors are looking into a number of irregularities from the former administration. As I reported earlier some questions about the appointment of Randy Allen to be a North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commissioner by then Governor Easley while he (Easley) was in the process of making a sweetheart real estate deal with a company owned by Mr. Allen.
That company owned by Mr. Allen is RA North is part of multiple lawsuits involving mortgage fraud.

Lawyers say a group of companies led by a Virginia investment company and including a Charlotte area developer, its marketing wing and several banks hoodwinked defendants into paying prices that had been artificially swollen by fraudulent appraisals. Some of the inflated appraisals, they claim, were built upon multiple fake sales of the same lot.
“It was kind of a real estate version of the Madoff scandal,” said lawyer Jill Pisner of McLean, Va.
The subdivisions were developed by R.A. North Development of Matthews and include Cannonsgate in Carteret County, where former Gov. Mike Easley got a controversial deal on a waterfront lot.

Charlotte Observer

While the former governor is not named in any of these lawsuits nor does it appear he had any involvement it does show us the type of people he was in bed with. With all the controversy around Mr. Allen’s appointment as well the multiple lawsuits against his companies it seems like a good time for him to step down from the board and allow Governor Purdue to appoint a new commissioner. I would hope that a new era of appointments could be established so we see less political favors and appointments of wildlife commissioners who care about the state’s natural resources.

Feds Investigate Possible Corruption in Wildlife Commissioner Appointment

As a federal probe into the former Easley Administration seems to be getting rolling questions have risen about a land deal and the appointment of Randy Allen to the Wildlife Commission.

Former North Carolina Governor Mike Easley is being investigated by federal authorities, as a past real estate deal brokered through a friend as well as use of cars provided by a political donor to his family are being examined.

No charges have been filed yet as a result of the investigations.

The Carolina Journal newspaper of Raleigh published by the conservative John Locke Foundation first reported the real estate deal irregularities back in 2006.

Then serving as Governor of North Carolina, Mike Easley purchased waterfront property in the Cannonsgate subdivision in Carteret County that abuts the Intracoastal Waterway near the Atlantic Ocean.

The Journal said that that Governor Easley paid $549,880 for his vacant lot at the end of 2005, even though one year later, the property had a tax value of $1.2 million.

Currently, due to the crash in the real estate market, according to the Campbell Property Group’s Cannonsgate website, lots at the site are in “liquidation” and are being listed for prices that range between $707,834 and $534,590. However, not all of the remaining lots front the Intracoastal Waterway like the one sold to Easley.

According to reports in the Carolina Journal as well as the (Raleigh) News & Observer and Charlotte Observer, the people involved in the real estate deal a the time were all political appointees under Easley, triggering the investigation into whether favors were potentially traded for .

According to the articles, the waterfront community was developed by Randy and William Allen, who were named by Governor Easley to the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.

Raleigh Telegram

At the time there were some questions about this apparent sweetheart deal here is an excerpt from a June 2006 news story.

Easley paid $549,880 for the one-third-acre lot in Cannonsgate, a development of million-dollar homes in Ocean, about 16 miles west of Morehead City.
The price was 3 percent above the lot’s assessed tax value. But 49 adjacent waterfront lots in the same development sold for an average of 20 percent to 36 percent above tax value, the Observer reported.
“The governor paid the listed asking price for the lot,” Easley spokeswoman Cari Boyce said. “The price was set and non-negotiable.”
Raleigh broker Mcqueen Campbell, a longtime friend and contributor, told Easley about the property and insists the governor got no discount or favors.
“Those lots are on a first-come, first-serve basis,” he said. “Everybody’s got a shot at every lot.”
But Ronnie Watson, an Emerald Isle real estate broker who helped negotiate the sale of the development last year, disputed that.
“You wouldn’t have been able to buy the lot, I’ll tell you that,” he said. “In other words, he had first choice.”
Boyce said Easley bought the property as an investment.

The developer is R.A. North Development of Matthews, run by Allen’s brother, Randy. Last June, while his own purchase was pending, Easley named Randy Allen to the state Wildlife Resources Commission.
Boyce denied any connection between the sale and Randy Allen’s appointment.
Democracy North Carolina, an advocacy group that tracks campaign money, said Gary Allen and his family have contributed at least $197,000 to the state Democratic Party since Easley began running for governor in 2000. Randy Allen also has been a major contributor.

WCNC

To anyone that has followed the North Carolina Wildlife Commission it’s no secret that many are big political donors appointed to the Commission. Did the former Governor do something wrong? I guess we’ll learn as the probe continues but it sure does look fishy.

More Details On Fatal Weekend Shooting

Turkey season was just barely open when a tragic confrontation between a North Carolina Wildlife Officer Mark Minton and a turkey hunter Clyde Coffey ended with the Minton shooting Coffey in self defense. Up until now little has been said from the officer’s perspective other then he fired in self defense. The Mountain Times has a law enforcement source that gives some additional details.

A law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity said, “During his patrol Minton discovered Coffey allegedly hunting turkey from a tree stand and baiting the birds underneath it, both illegal during Spring Turkey Season. Minton ordered Coffey to exit the tree to which the hunter allegedly responded that if he came down he would shoot Minton.”

Coffey reportedly exited the tree stand and began to advance on the officer, continuing to threaten him with his weapon as Minton repeatedly ordered him to stop. At some point Minton found himself unable to retreat any further and fired on Coffey.

Baiting turkeys is certainly illegal however the use of tree stands while unusual is not illegal. Well at least I can’t find it in the current regulation book.

Anytime anyone threatens another individual with a firearm it is reasonable for someone to take actions to eliminate the threat including deadly force;

Officer Minton remains on paid leave while the SBI continues their investigation into the fatal shooting.

What Happened In Wilkes County?

On Saturday morning there was a deadly confrontation in the woods of Wilkes County off of Cane Creek Road between a turkey hunter and a North Carolina Wildlife Officer that has a family asking what happened.

N.C. Wildlife Commission Capt. Rusty Hunter said Wildlife Officer Mark Minton was patrolling during the first day of turkey hunting season when the confrontation happened about 7:30 a.m.
The commission said the shooting happened on private property in the Cane Creek area of Wilkes County.
The hunter who was killed, Clyde Coffey, was a 77-year-old from Lenoir. Reports indicate he died of a single gunshot wound to the chest.
Hunter told television reporters there was no evidence suggesting Minton confused the hunter with an animal. Instead, it appeared the officer was protecting himself, Hunter said.
“An armed confrontation with a hunter resulted in Officer Minton firing a shot, apparently in self-defense, which led to the death of the alleged assailant,” the Wildlife Resources Commission said in a statement.
Minton is on administrative leave while the State Bureau of Investigation reviews the incident.

Salisbury Post

The family does not believe Officer Minton’s account

“He’s minding his own business sitting in a tree stand. He hadn’t been there long. My dad had a gun, he was turkey hunting! But my dad’s gun never fired. And ther was only two of them there, and my dad’s gone. He can’t tell his side,” said Clyde’s daughter Debbie Robbins.

Fox 8

The unofficial story as best as I can gather it is as follows;
Officer Minton had reason to believe that the area this incident took place was illegally baited and he went on to the posted private land to catch someone hunting over the bait. Officer Minton found Mr. Coffey hunting out of a treestand and confronted him. Mr. Coffey was hard of hearing that could of made communication difficult and some reports that officer Minton was dressed in Camo clothing that day and not the traditional uniform. Or at least his uniform was covered up. At some point Mr. Coffey did something that put Officer Minton’s life in danger and he shot Mr. Coffey with his service weapon one time in the chest killing him.
Mr. Coffey’s family report that this type of behavior is out of character for him and they question what happened. As far as I can tell there were no witnesses to the confrontation so the SBI investigation will have to focus on the physical evidence to piece this together.
Officer Minton is a seasoned officer with 12 years working with the Wildlife Commission so it is reasonable to assume he has the experience and skills to exhaust all other avenues before he used deadly force.

Someone made a bad choice that morning whether it was Mr. Coffey or Officer Minton will have to wait and see what the SBI Investigation determines.

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