A man was captured on a home security camera shooting a deer right across from the house. But does the camera tell the whole story?
Police and California Department of Fish and Wildlife Officials are investigating the shooting of a buck within the city limits in Monrovia, California last Thursday.
Chuck Tapert discovered blood in the neighborhood and later reviewed his home security footage to find 33-year-old Michael Rodriguez had been captured on video shooting a young buck across the street from their house. You can see the video below Rodriguez taking the shot and then the injured deer running down the street.
DFW officials confiscated the carcass and Rodriguez’s hunting equipment because hunting within 150 yards of a home is illegal.
But the story will likely be the source of much debate because Rodriguez claims he had proper tags. He told CBS Los Angeles he’d arrowed the buck originally in deer hunting Zone D-11, a legal area nearby.
Although he knew the rules about shooting within 150 yards of a home, he claims he wanted to end the animal’s suffering. He also felt it posed a danger to motorists because it was running out into traffic at times.
“I took an action which I thought was the most appropriate and ethical way of handling it,” Rodriguez told Pasadena Star News. He also told them it was his first time shooting at a deer and that he wanted to feed his family.
Rodriguez said he didn’t shoot until the buck stopped in front of a wall that he hoped would serve as a makeshift safety back stop. He then self-reported what had happened to the police, although the police say a report was not filed from that conversation.
Meanwhile, residents of the neighborhood don’t believe Rodriguez’ story about tracking the buck.
“I think he’s got a little fib going here covering his tracks,” resident Robyn Tapert told CBS Los Angeles. “So don’t come back and do that in our neighborhood because we actually care for the wildlife up here.”
Right now, the whole incident is still being investigated, but Rodriguez could get hit for misdemeanor charges for firing a weapon in the city limits and for hunting too close to homes.
We’ll bring you more about this controversial incident when we learn more.
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