In an unexpected turn of events, a police officer that took home an injured baby deer to aid its healing, as he and his wife deemed it could not survive in its own, is now facing criminal misdemeanor charges and a media frenzy, as reported by the Examiner and others.
According to the press, media attention began to swell on January 29 and has since resulted in a Facebook page that received about 20,000 "likes" in its first four days. Comments, both from the U.S. and abroad, have all been in support of the couple and rage at those prosecuting them.
The couple, Jeff and Jennifer Counceller, were interviewed by George Stephanopoulos on ABC's "Good Morning America" program.
The story unfolded in 2010 when Jeff Counceller, a police officer with the Connersville department, found a baby deer that he believed had been hurt by a coyote. Counceller said that he had intended to return the deer to the woods, however, he was confident the animal would not survive without his help.
The Councellers called several animal habitats across the state to take the animal in – but were turned away as all of the facilities claimed they were full. The couple decided to do what they could to help the deer.
"Dani", the name the Counceller's chose for the deer, lived in a pen in their back yard.
Speaking to reporters, Jeff Counceller talked about Dani's returning good health. He said, "She would run around. She would play. We would feed her crack corn and deer chow and other things. Again, we knew someday that we needed to turn her loose."
The Councellers contend that their neighbors were aware of Dani being there. However, just as they were considering that it was time to free her, DNR discovered that she was in their possession.
DNR ordered that Dani be euthanized – no further explanation was given. Following the notice, Dani escaped. The Councellers contend that they had no knowledge of Dani's escape but that she had many friends.
According to news reports, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources has charged the couple with illegal possession of a white-tailed deer. If found guilty they face up to a 60-day jail sentence and a fine of $500.
The Councellers contend that at the time they had no idea that healing the deer at home was against the law. They have also stated that they never hid their actions from anyone. Now, since the charges were filed, they understand that what they did was illegal.
In defense of their actions Jeff Counceller said, "We could not walk away. Maybe that's where we went wrong, but we couldn't walk away."
The fan of the couple that created the Facebook page, J.W., believes that due to growing "public pressure" the charges will be dropped.
The case is set for trial in March.
Criminal charges are not always expected, however if you suddenly find yourself in need of a lawyer contact a criminal defense attorney to best represent you.
