Man won’t face charges in death of killer gator
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will not press charges against an East Texas man who fatally shot an alligator that had killed a man.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will not press charges against an East Texas man who fatally shot an alligator that had killed a man days before.
In a news release, the department cited “unprecedented circumstances” — the first alligator fatality in Texas in almost 200 years — for the decision not to charge the man, identified only as “Bear,” who reportedly killed the animal out of concern for community safety. He could have faced a $500 fine.
The news that he won’t be fined comes as the Burkart Marina in Orange, where the attack occurred and where the man dropped the corpse of the slain alligator, prepared to hold a fundraiser Saturday to pay his fines.
“Nobody was going to sit back and let that man pay,” said Gwen Thigpen, secretary for marina owner Allen Burkart. “They feel like the man did the right thing by getting rid of the gator. That gator could have killed a lot of people out here.”
She said the idea for the fundraiser came after a handful of locals turned up wanting to donate to pay the man’s fines, starting with an elderly woman who offered $7. The marina decided to sell plates of barbecued chicken and sausage and host a band
in an attempt to raise all the money.
But that won’t be necessary now. Game wardens are closing their investigation.
On Friday, game wardens were notified of an alligator attack and missing person on Adams Bayou. The body of Tommie Woodward was found later. He died after jumping into the bayou, despite a sign warning of alligators in the water.
On Monday, the Parks and Wildlife Department got word that an 11-foot alligator had been killed, and by the next day the agency had contacted the man who admitted killing it.
“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 be killed,” said Col. Craig Hunter, law enforcement director for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
“If there is a positive that can come out of this case, it’s an educational opportunity for us to reinforce to the public not to feed or disturb alligators and that there are proper procedures for handling nuisance alligators,” he added.