Heroes rescue deer, cops award them with fines

[nunaem]

These stories make my blood boil.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/20/AR2010122001601.html

Two men who rescued a deer trapped in Patapsco River ice were each fined $90 by a state Natural Resources Police officer because they did not have life vests aboard the inflatable boat they used to reach the animal.

A 911 caller reported a deer stuck in the ice near Route 648 in Linthicum about 5 p.m. Thursday, Sgt. Brian Albert of the Maryland Natural Resources Police said.

A natural resources officer and a Baltimore County fire crew arrived and were discussing whether to attempt a rescue when two men on the scene decided they would do it themselves, Albert said.

"The river there, I'm told, is probably over 100 feet wide, maybe a little wider," Albert said. The deer was "out toward the middle" of the river, which "more than likely has some current," he said.

"The fire department was kind of game-planning what they would do," Albert said. "With Natural Resources Police, we will attempt, but we are not going to risk a human life for a deer life, as cruel as that may sound. . . . I'm as sympathetic as the next person on that deer being in the water, but when you weigh the risk to the reward, I would probably decide not to try to rescue that deer."

Firefighters and the natural resources officer advised the men not to go out on the water, particularly without life vests, Albert said.

But the men went out in their boat and freed the deer.

Jim Hart, 46, who lives in Carroll County, was driving by and stopped to see what was happening. "I saw something moving," he said. "I saw them trying to break the ice."

Khalil Abusakran, 33, from Baltimore County, said he also was driving by and saw people throwing rocks and sticks at the deer.

Abusakran got a rubber boat from his van. "The deer was stuck and couldn't get up off the ice," he said.

Abusakran and Hart got in the boat and went out into the water, which they said was about 10 feet deep. Hart said they had to work to break the ice using oars and shovels. The two men were finally able to break open a wide enough section of ice for the deer to struggle free.

Abusakran said he thought it looked like the deer was pregnant.

Hart said the Natural Resources Police officer issued him and Abusakran $90 citations for not having personal flotation devices on board. State law requires that all boaters have a personal flotation device with them at all times on any navigable body of water, though they are not required to wear them unless they are younger than 16.

Abusakran said he had two personal flotation devices in his boat and that he repeatedly told the Natural Resources officer that.

Albert said the men could have faced a stiffer charge: disobeying a lawful order.

"They could have been arrested and taken before a commissioner," Albert said. "Our officer erred on the side of the least invasive action that he could take at the time."

Hart said several people had contacted him and offered to pay the citation, but he said that's not the point.

The men said they will fight the citations in court Feb. 18.

[midnight rambler]

"Our officer erred on the side of the least invasive action that he could take at the time."

Bullshiit. The least invasive action would have been to leave those two the fuk alone.

[Bullion_Bob]

The police are here to protect us from ourselves.

Fvcking parasites.

[osoab]

I really think the two dudes in the boat were idiots? Granted I don't know the site conditions, but getting out on a frozen river to save a deer in an rubber boat just doesn't seem like the brightest thing to do. They actually made themselves a liability to the "rescue operation". What was only a deer in river could have turned into an ugly affair.

I don't agree with the ticket, especially since jackets were in the boat. I think the DNR guy is just a dick, probably pissed about being one-upped.

[Bullion_Bob]

For sure the macho complex parasitic entity was inflamed at being disobeyed.

Sure it's stupid, but I draw the line at having the fist of law come down for something when it affects nobody else's life but your own.

It's like the policeman decided he was his proxy father, and administered a spanking.

That's just over the top imo.

[nunaem]

I really think the two dudes in the boat were idiots? Granted I don't know the site conditions, but getting out on a frozen river to save a deer in an rubber boat just doesn't seem like the brightest thing to do. They actually made themselves a liability to the "rescue operation". What was only a deer in river could have turned into an ugly affair.


They succeeded at rescuing the deer and staying safe, so criticizing their actions at this point is moot. If they had drowned I would have called them noble idiots rather than heroes.

[osoab]

I really think the two dudes in the boat were idiots? Granted I don't know the site conditions, but getting out on a frozen river to save a deer in an rubber boat just doesn't seem like the brightest thing to do. They actually made themselves a liability to the "rescue operation". What was only a deer in river could have turned into an ugly affair.


They succeeded at rescuing the deer and staying safe, so criticizing their actions at this point is moot. If they had drowned I would have called them noble idiots rather than heroes.


I don't believe the end result of an action defines it as idiotic or not. These guys were idiots.

[Spectrism]

That was not very polite of the cops. In the wild days, lack of politeness could really ruin your day. They may have already set themselves up for an unfortunate chain of events.