Post by Steve Sutton on Mar 18, 2010 11:19:20 GMT -5
USDA Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer Christopher Arby Upton, 37, of Monroe Georgia was shot and killed by a hunter who was coyote hunting and mistook him for game at the Ocmulgee Bluff Equestrian Recreation Area in Jasper County around 11 p.m. Friday, according to Robin Hill, Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
The recreational area is located on the Oconoee Ranger District of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest.
Two people were hunting coyote with a high-powered rifle equipped with night vision and apparently mistook the officer for game, after the shooting, the hunters dialed 911 and reported a hunting incident, according to a Georgia DNR news release.
The release said the shooter, Norman Clinton Hale, 40, of McDonough, GA, and an observer Clifford Allen McGouirk, 41, of Jackson, GA, are being investigated.
"This is a tragic incident where the loss of a Federal officer's life could have been avoided," said Steven Ruppert, Special Agent-in-Charge for the Southern Region of the Forest Service, "This is a devastating loss for Chris' family, our agency, other law enforcement officers and his friends and neighbors in Monroe."
Hill said Upton was shot one time, in the head and died immediately.
"The standard procedure for a hunter is to identify your target and then shoot," said Homer Bryson, Law Enforcement Colonel for Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, "The hunter failed to do this and mistook the officer for game. He then shot and instantly killed the officer."
"The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Forest Service and Georgia DNR," said Hill.
Hill said no charges have been made.
According to the release, Upton was a 4-year veteran of the Forest Service and had previously worked as a game warden for the Department of Defense, US Marine Corps, at Beaufort, South Carolina, and as a conservation officer, game warden and pilot with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.
He is survived by his wife, Jessica, and a 4-year-old daughter, Annabelle.
The recreational area is located on the Oconoee Ranger District of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest.
Two people were hunting coyote with a high-powered rifle equipped with night vision and apparently mistook the officer for game, after the shooting, the hunters dialed 911 and reported a hunting incident, according to a Georgia DNR news release.
The release said the shooter, Norman Clinton Hale, 40, of McDonough, GA, and an observer Clifford Allen McGouirk, 41, of Jackson, GA, are being investigated.
"This is a tragic incident where the loss of a Federal officer's life could have been avoided," said Steven Ruppert, Special Agent-in-Charge for the Southern Region of the Forest Service, "This is a devastating loss for Chris' family, our agency, other law enforcement officers and his friends and neighbors in Monroe."
Hill said Upton was shot one time, in the head and died immediately.
"The standard procedure for a hunter is to identify your target and then shoot," said Homer Bryson, Law Enforcement Colonel for Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, "The hunter failed to do this and mistook the officer for game. He then shot and instantly killed the officer."
"The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Forest Service and Georgia DNR," said Hill.
Hill said no charges have been made.
According to the release, Upton was a 4-year veteran of the Forest Service and had previously worked as a game warden for the Department of Defense, US Marine Corps, at Beaufort, South Carolina, and as a conservation officer, game warden and pilot with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.
He is survived by his wife, Jessica, and a 4-year-old daughter, Annabelle.