Charges in elk shooting follow the arrest of two cops in Boulder, Colo. Friday, ABC News reports via Yahoo! News Jan. 18.
Officers Samuel Carter and Brent Curnow were arrested on bailed on bond after they were suspected in a cover-up for shooting a neighborhood elk. Their bond was set at $20,000 each.
Officer Carter was on patrol New Year's Day in the Mapleton neighborhood where a bull elk had been seen limping with broken antlers.
"In his judgment, he believed the elk needed to be humanely euthanized," the department news release said. "The officer dispatched the elk with one shot from his shotgun and called another off-duty officer to come pick up the elk carcass."
Officer Curnow was the one who allegedly picked up the animal then had the meat processed for his own personal use.
Residents in the Boulder neighborhood are disturbed by the shooting of the elk they affectionately called "Big Boy." He was a frequent visitor to their neighborhood and well-liked. The elk often snacked on a crab apple tree there.
The officers are charged on several accounts -- attempting to influence a public servant, tampering with evidence, and forgery. Misdemeanor charges involve the unlawful taking of an elk in addition to official misconduct and conspiracy.
Boulder police have reportedly been embroiled in a slate of troubles the past 18 months. Police from the department have been arrested from such offenses as DUIs to attempted murder.
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