Cop Suspended, Accused of Going Deer Hunting With Convicted Felon in Patrol Car

Javarrea Pouncy, a Coushatta, Louisiana police officer, was cited with three other men, including a convicted felon, for using a police patrol car while off duty to hunt deer on private property without a hunting license and outside allowed hunting hours.

Pouncy, 28, and the others were discovered by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents Sunday after hearing gunfire while on patrol around 8 p.m. and later finding the men in the patrol car in an open field on private property, according to a statement from the agency released Wednesday.

Pouncy was identified as a part-time officer with the police department by Coushatta Police Chief Kevin Stafford, who said he had been suspended upon learning of the investigation.

The four men were allegedly found with three rifles in the car, and had killed two antlered deer.

Anthony Caldwell, a 31-year-old convicted in 2011 for illegal use of a weapon, was charged as a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

All four were cited for hunting the deer without a recreational big game hunting license, trespassing on private property, hunting from a moving vehicle and doing so at night, and three of the four, including Caldwell and Pouncy, were cited for hunting without a basic hunting license.

Caldwell would face five to 20 years in prison and up to $5,000 in fines if convicted on the firearm possessions charge.

The other three men face the potential of up to 240 days in jail and $2,000 in fines if convicted on all of their citations.

There was no immediate response to a text message to a number listed for Pouncy in an online directory. A number listed for Caldwell in an online directory is no longer in service.

Adam Einck, enforcement spokesman for Wildlife and Fisheries, said he did not know whether any of the men has an attorney.

The news release said Caldwell may also face civil restitution totaling $2,033 for the buck's value, and one of the other men could be ordered to pay $1,624 for another deer that was taken.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.