Louisiana Cop Suspended After He Goes Deer Hunting With Convicted Felon
A Louisiana cop has been suspended after he went on an illegal deer hunting trip with three people, one of them a convicted felon, in a police patrol vehicle.
Javarrea Pouncy, a police officer from Coushatta, Louisiana, was cited, along with three other men, after they were discovered by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents who heard gunfire while on patrol Sunday night.
The authorities ran into a car spotlighting for deer in an open field. When the cops inched closer, they found that the vehicle belonged to the Coushatta Police Department patrol unit, ABC News reported citing a news release from the Lousiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
All four were charged with hunting deer without a recreational big game hunting license, trespassing on private property, hunting from a moving vehicle and doing so on restricted hours.
The other three men were identified as Anthony B. Caldwell, who is a convicted felon, Cederick J. Thomas and Adam J. Caldwell.
Police seized a spike, a buck and three rifles from them, Free Range American reported. Conviction on all of the charges would entail maximum penalties of $2,000 in fines and 240 days in jail.
Anthony was convicted in 2011 of illegal use of weapons. He now faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison if convicted on the firearms charge, according to the news release.
"Agents found the men in possession of two antlered deer and three rifles with one of them having night vision capabilities. After further questioning, agents learned that Anthony Caldwell harvested an eight-point buck and is a convicted felon. Agents also found that Thomas harvested a spike buck," authorities said in the news release.
Anthony may face additional civil restitution worth $2,033 for the buck's value, while one of the other men could be ordered to pay $1,624.