spectr17
11-21-2001, 12:45 AM
Alleged deer poachers say they were forced to eat animal’s heart, liver
By JEFF BOBO, Kingsport Times-News
ROGERSVILLE Tennessee — A Bean Station man who reportedly poached a deer Sunday evening in the Sandy Valley community near Rogersville and his companion were allegedly forced at gunpoint to eat the deer’s heart and liver by two local men who were offended by the shooting of the deer.
According to a report filed by Hawkins County Sheriff’s Department Deputy James Woods, Brad Long, 25, of Bean Station, and his friend Paul Hurley, no age given, of Morristown, were driving along Sandy Valley Road west of Rogersville when they spotted a deer. Long reportedly shot and killed the deer with his 25-06 caliber Remington rifle.
Woods said Long reported that he was about to drive on, leaving the deer, when a white male Long described as about 6 feet tall and “skinny” with shoulder-length hair stepped into the roadway. The man was armed with what appeared to be a Ruger revolver.
Long and Hurley stopped their vehicle, and the man allegedly pointed his handgun into the car window and demanded that Long and Hurley shut off the car’s engine, give him the keys, and get out of the vehicle. The man then asked why they had shot the deer, and Long apologized for shooting the deer. The man then reportedly took the rifle away from Long.
At that point another man described as looking like a Native American “Indian” by Long and armed with a shotgun then appeared on the scene, and both suspects ordered Long and Hurley to drag the deer back to their vehicle.
“One suspect asked if they wanted to call authorities or take care of the situation ‘the old way,’” Woods said. “Long said he did not want to get into trouble and asked what the old way was. (The two suspects) told Long to gut the deer, and Long and Hurley took bites of the heart and liver.
“After taking a bite of the deer, the suspects threw the keys back to Long. Long and Hurley were told not to come back and to tell their buddies not to come up there.”
Woods said one suspect told Long and Hurley that the area was some sort of “reservation” and refused to give the rifle back to Long. Long and Hurley then left, taking the gutted deer with them.
Long then met with Woods and showed him the location where the alleged incident occurred. Woods found a pool of blood and entrails beside the roadway near a mobile home at 667 Sandy Valley Road.
Woods went to the mobile home with Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency Chris Seay and spoke with two men who met the descriptions given by Long, but neither suspect would confirm or deny Long’s story.
Only the “skinny” man was identified, and the rifle was not recovered, Woods said.
Hawkins County Sheriff Wayne Clevinger said Tuesday that Detective Jeff Greer has been assigned to the case, and if his investigation finds that Long’s story is true, both suspects will be charged with aggravated assault and theft.
Seay is also went to Long’s Bean Station home and looked at the deer, and he is investigating a hunting violation citation for Long, Woods said in his report.
By JEFF BOBO, Kingsport Times-News
ROGERSVILLE Tennessee — A Bean Station man who reportedly poached a deer Sunday evening in the Sandy Valley community near Rogersville and his companion were allegedly forced at gunpoint to eat the deer’s heart and liver by two local men who were offended by the shooting of the deer.
According to a report filed by Hawkins County Sheriff’s Department Deputy James Woods, Brad Long, 25, of Bean Station, and his friend Paul Hurley, no age given, of Morristown, were driving along Sandy Valley Road west of Rogersville when they spotted a deer. Long reportedly shot and killed the deer with his 25-06 caliber Remington rifle.
Woods said Long reported that he was about to drive on, leaving the deer, when a white male Long described as about 6 feet tall and “skinny” with shoulder-length hair stepped into the roadway. The man was armed with what appeared to be a Ruger revolver.
Long and Hurley stopped their vehicle, and the man allegedly pointed his handgun into the car window and demanded that Long and Hurley shut off the car’s engine, give him the keys, and get out of the vehicle. The man then asked why they had shot the deer, and Long apologized for shooting the deer. The man then reportedly took the rifle away from Long.
At that point another man described as looking like a Native American “Indian” by Long and armed with a shotgun then appeared on the scene, and both suspects ordered Long and Hurley to drag the deer back to their vehicle.
“One suspect asked if they wanted to call authorities or take care of the situation ‘the old way,’” Woods said. “Long said he did not want to get into trouble and asked what the old way was. (The two suspects) told Long to gut the deer, and Long and Hurley took bites of the heart and liver.
“After taking a bite of the deer, the suspects threw the keys back to Long. Long and Hurley were told not to come back and to tell their buddies not to come up there.”
Woods said one suspect told Long and Hurley that the area was some sort of “reservation” and refused to give the rifle back to Long. Long and Hurley then left, taking the gutted deer with them.
Long then met with Woods and showed him the location where the alleged incident occurred. Woods found a pool of blood and entrails beside the roadway near a mobile home at 667 Sandy Valley Road.
Woods went to the mobile home with Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency Chris Seay and spoke with two men who met the descriptions given by Long, but neither suspect would confirm or deny Long’s story.
Only the “skinny” man was identified, and the rifle was not recovered, Woods said.
Hawkins County Sheriff Wayne Clevinger said Tuesday that Detective Jeff Greer has been assigned to the case, and if his investigation finds that Long’s story is true, both suspects will be charged with aggravated assault and theft.
Seay is also went to Long’s Bean Station home and looked at the deer, and he is investigating a hunting violation citation for Long, Woods said in his report.