State game wardens will not file criminal charges against Kent Robnett, the Orange man who killed the 11-and-a-half foot alligator that killed a man on July 3. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Thursday issued a press release saying the game wardens tracked the man and gave him a warning citation for the illegal catch of the alligator. Colonel Craig Hunter, law enforcement director for Texas Parks and Wildlife, said the alligator would have had to been killed because of its aggressive behavior.
“This was a truly horrific tragedy that unfortunately became compounded by the actions of an individual who felt compelled to take matters into his own hands for the safety of his family and others, said Colonel Hunter.
28-year-old Tommie Woodward was killed by the alligator about 2:30 Friday morning after he jumped into Adam’s Bayou at Burkart’s Marina in the Cove area of Orange. The marina has a “No Swimming Alligators” sign up and people warned him not to go into the water. He was attacked by the gator when he jumped in. His body was recovered about two hours later by searchers with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and game wardens. Justice of the Peace Rodney Price said the autopsy said Woodward drowned but he had significant damage to a limb from an alligator.
The carcass of the alligator was found at the marina Monday afternoon. Game wardens responded and began an investigation because it is against the law to kill an alligator without a license. Harlan “Bigfoot” Hatcher of Fannett, who is on the History Channel’s “Swamp People,” picked up the alligator. His dissection proved that the alligator was the one that killed Woodward.
The illegal harvest of an alligator is a Class C misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $500. The game wardens on Tuesday talked to a man who admitted he killed the alligator because he was concerned about the safety of others. The Cove neighborhood has houses that back up to the bayou and a number of people have personal docks on the bayou in their backyards.
“In no way do we condone the killing of a nuisance alligator without proper authority. Either Texas game Wardens or a licensed nuisance alligator hunter would have been more appropriate to handle the situation. Either way, because of its aggressive behavior, the alligator would have to killed,” Hunter said. “If there is a positive that can come out of this case, it’s an education opportunity for us to reinforce to the public not to feed or disturb alligators and that there are proper procedures for handling nuisance alligators.”
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