Indiana Conservation Officers have filed charges in Hamilton County against a man who shot a three-legged deer in January 2017.  Local residents of Deming had frequently spotted the doe for several years, as it raised several sets of fawns.  Local deer hunters had formed a pact to leave the deer alone.
Allegedly, the doe was shot illegally with a rifle from the suspect’s vehicle on a public roadway and was left in the field. The deer was recovered by Indiana Conservation Officers, who donated the venison.  In February 2018, a phone tip led to a suspect, who later admitted to taking the deer.
The suspect is currently facing multiple Class C Misdemeanor charges, including additional wildlife offenses.
Indiana Conservation Officers thank the person who called our tip line to report the information that led to a successful resolution of this case.  Anyone wishing to report poaching activity can do so at any time by calling 1(800)TIP-IDNR.  All information, including that of the caller, will be kept confidential and reward money can be issued for information that leads to the conviction of violators

The Evansville-Vanderburgh County Traffic Safety Partnership (which includes the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office and the Evansville Police Department) and the Indiana State Police will be participating in a statewide “Click It or Ticket” Seatbelt Enforcement Blitz beginning today.

This high-visibility enforcement effort, also known as Operation Pull Over Blitz #94, will run from May 11 through June 03. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Indiana’s seat-belt law. Since that time, Indiana – along with 34 other states – has enacted a primary seat-belt law, meaning that law enforcement can pull you over for being unbuckled. Last year, more than 240 law-enforcement agencies performed 8,728 hours of traffic patrols and issued more than 30,000 citations or warnings, of which about 13,700 were seat-belt and child-restraint citations.

The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) recently observed that popular TV shows and books often focus on violent crime investigation, ignoring the reality that police are actually more likely to investigate serious traffic crashes. Statistically, you are more likely to suffer property damage, personal injured or be killed in a traffic crash than be a victim of burglary, violent crime or murder.

According to the Purdue University Center for Road Safety, between 2000 to 2017 seat-belt usage increased from 62 to 93 percent in Indiana. While Indiana has made great progress, the small percentage who still don’t buckle up make up nearly half of those killed on our roadways. In 2016, there were 10,428 unbuckled motorists killed in crashes in the United States.

This May, law enforcement will be specifically looking for seatbelt and child safety seat violations. No warnings will be given. Increased traffic safety enforcement is made possible by funding provided by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) through a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).