Recent actions by law enforcement agencies in Northeast Michigan. This has been only lightly edited.

MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Sept. 4-17

PRESQUE ISLE COUNTY

CO Sidney LaLonde responded to an ORV accident in Presque Isle County. CO LaLonde assisted deputies with an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) that took a corner too wide which resulted in hitting a mailbox. The victim was by himself and was unconscious when a passerby found him in the road. The victim was conscious and breathing when EMS arrived but was very confused about where he was and did not remember the accident. CO LaLonde followed up a day after the accident and talked with the victim. He still did not remember the accident or how long he was laying on the dirt road but seemed to be in good spirits with non-life-threatening injuries.

MONTMORENCY COUNTY

COs Sidney LaLonde and Sgt Mike Mshar responded to an elk hunter harassment and trespass issue during the elk hunt. Two separate guides were hunting on a piece of property and were unaware that both had permission to be there. The COs arrived at the location to find several hunters had shot at cow elk and were unsure of how many animals were hit. The COs were able to determine two cow elk were wounded. The hunters were eventually able to successfully locate the cow elk and it was sorted out who had shot what animal.

CO Sidney LaLonde received a call from the Report All Poaching (RAP) hotline about a text to the RAP line. The text stated a hunter was being harassed and a gun was pulled on one of the subjects. Then the person stopped texting the RAP hotline. CO LaLonde and Montmorency County sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene. Two neighbors got into a heated argument while one was hunting the early antlerless season and the other was riding an ORV nearby. The two had a verbal argument, but no threats were made about guns. No violations were found.

CO Dan Liestenfeltz was fueling up his patrol vehicle in Montmorency County, when he observed a vehicle and its occupants acting suspiciously in the parking lot. CO Liestenfeltz ran the vehicle’s license plate as it was pulling out of the parking lot and discovered the registered owner of the vehicle had a revoked driver’s license. CO Liestenfeltz was able to catch up to the vehicle and initiate a traffic stop. When the vehicle was stopped, it was determined that the passenger of the vehicle was the registered owner, but the current driver was also suspended. The subject also had multiple warrants for his arrest. CO Liestenfeltz issued the subject an appearance ticket for driving on a suspended license. Sgt. Mike Mshar arrived on scene and took the subject into custody for the warrants. The subject was transported to Otsego County to meet MSP troopers for the warrants. A valid driver drove the vehicle from the scene.

Sgt. Mike Mshar was on patrol during the elk hunt in Montmorency County when a complaint came from RAP that a hunter was hunting on a roadway and was aiming a rifle down the road at oncoming vehicles. Sgt. Mshar responded and confirmed that the hunter had set up a tripod actively aiming his rifle down the middle of a public county road. The hunter and his guide were educated on the safety hazards that could occur doing such a careless thing. The hunter seemed to understand and elected to opt for a different location to hunt.