THE DUCK INCIDENT

THE DUCK INCIDENT

The dates are accurate. The times are approximate

Tuesday April 4, 2023 between 5PM and 6PM

I live in the Charleston Cay apartment complex on Harbor View Drive in Punta Gorda. The complex consists of ten two story buildings surrounding a large pond. The tenants here share the pond with a large number of sea birds: Cormorants, Heron, Egrets, Ibis, Muscovy Ducks and an occasional Pelican. The presence of these birds is a joy to the tenants.

I looked out my window and saw a woman with a mop or a broom, swinging that mop or broom at a number of ducks, while yelling at them and chasing them. I immediately ran outside and yelled at this woman, “Stop chasing these ducks right now. Animal abuse is a crime in Florida. Stop right now or I will call the Sheriff’s office”. She answered, “Go ahead and call. There’s nothing they can do to me”. So I went back in to my apartment and called the Charlotte County Sheriff’s office. When I reported the incident to the woman who answered the phone I was told that the Sheriff’s office could do nothing about this incident. Even though animal abuse is a crime in Florida, they refused to address it. Instead, I was told to report this incident to the Animal Welfare League.

Wednesday April 5, 2023 10AM

When the Animal Welfare League did not answer their phone, I sent them an email detailing the previous day’s incident. About an hour later I received a reply by email telling me that they were basically a shelter that finds homes for stray cats and dogs, and had no authority to intercede regarding animal abuse. They suggested that I contact the Animal Control office as well as the FWC. When I called Animal Control they listened carefully, and asked for the woman’s name and address. I didn’t know the woman’s name, but I gave them her address and apartment number. The man on the phone told me that he wopuld try to get someone from his office to go to that address and speak to this woman about the consequences for animal abuse.

Thursday April 6, 2023 3PM

I answered a knock on my door to find two uniformed Sheriff’s Deputies and a young girl, maybe 18 years old. The leader of this Posse was DFC Boss #2406, a short, nasty man with an agenda all his own. He informed me that the woman who had chased the ducks two days earlier, had called the Sheriff’s office an hour before, and had falsely reported that I had been stalking and harassing her, and that she was afraid for her safety. I, of course, had not seen or spoken to this person since telling her to stop chasing the ducks, two days earlier. So this woman first commits Animal Abuse, which is a crime in the state of Florida, and now files a false police report, which, I believe, is also a crime. This woman has now committed two crimes, and uniformed Sheriff’s Deputies are knocking on MY door. DFC Boss was arrogant and accusatory, having obviously bought into this woman’s preposterous accusations. I was furious and told him so. The Sheriff’s office refused to intercede in an incident of Animal Abuse, which is a crime in the state of Florida, and now is knocking on the door of an honest, 79 year old, tax paying citizen and Veteran, at the behest of this demented woman’s fairy tales. I was unyielding in my disgust at DFC Boss’s behavior, and let him know it

Friday April 7, 2013 6AM

I awaken, make coffee, at sit down at my computer, which is how I begin each day. I found that my Facebook page has been deleted from their web site. I have been hacked in the past, and my Facebook Page tampered with, but this was more serious. I wondered if it was possible that this woman, who had gotten away with committing two crimes in one week, was responsible for hacking my computer. She had obviously gotten my name from DFC Boss, and it was an easy task to find that I had a Facebook page, as many people do. Did she do it? I really didn’t know, but considering her behavior, it was certainly possible. So I called the Sheriff’s office and reported this latest episode in my dispute with this woman. It took me several hours to retrieve my Facebook page, and it now functions properly. My hope is that this woman will tire of vengeful behavior,  and resume her life. Considering her criminal behavior, I seriously doubt it.

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