Duo admitted to shooting deer while on duty
CHEBOYGAN -- Two Michigan State Police troopers will face jail time and have to pay back restitution after admitting to shooting a deer while on duty.
Don Bolen and Jeff Hadley were before a judge Friday for sentencing in the 89th District Court in Cheboygan.
The two men, who were assigned as troopers to the Michigan State Police Cheboygan post, admitted to shining and then shooting a deer in November of 2008 while on the job. Both men pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor counts.
"Most poachers would do it on their own time, they don't do it while they're working for the state," said Hon. Maria Barton during Friday's sentencing hearing. "You committed this offense while you were wearing a police uniform, while driving a police vehicle and while you were getting paid by taxpayers to protect the people of the state of Michigan."
Both Hadley and Bolen have more than ten years of service with MSP and have taken responsibility in this case.
"I apologize to the citizens of Cheboygan County, also my department and more so my family for everything I put them through and I apologize for all of that," Hadley told the judge Friday.
During the hearing, attorneys for both men asked for leniency, calling them descent men who made an unfortunate mistake.
As for sentencing, both men will have to pay joint restitution and fines totaling $9,711.70. More than $6,600 of the restitution comes from investigative costs incurred by the Department of Natural Resources. Furthermore, both men were ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and will lose their hunting rights for three years.
Judge Barton sentenced Don Bolen to two days in jail with credit for one day served.
Hadley was sentenced to four days jail with credit for one day served. Judge Barton said she found Hadley to be the main perpetrator behind the incident, citing the fact that Hadley had brought his own gun from home the night of the incident and felt Hadley had planned to shoot a deer. She added that court documents reported that when questioned by another trooper about blood and deer hair found in a squad car, Hadley told the trooper they had picked up a deer carcass and had given it to a needy family for food.
While the sentence handed down is more severe than what is typically given for first time offenders in this kind of case, Judge Barton said the troopers had to be held to a higher standard because of their role in the community as law enforcement officers.
What's to follow now is an administrative investigation conducted by the Michigan State Police. Internal Affairs could recommend transfers and/or time off from the job. Bolen and Hadley are still employed as Michigan State Police troopers, however they're temporarily assigned to other posts.
At this time they're not expected to return to the Cheboygan post, nor is it expected for them to be terminated from their jobs.
