Man from Magnolia, Ark. sentenced for shooting bald eagle at Columbia Lake

COLUMBIA COUNTY, Ark. (KSLA) - A man from Magnolia, Ark. has been sentenced for killing a bald eagle.

On June 15, Christopher Lane Shackelford, 20, was sentenced to two years of federal probation (first 60 days to be served on home detention) and was ordered to pay $2,025 in restitution and fees, the U.S. Department of Justice reports.

Court documents show on Jan. 16, 2022, officers with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission were sent out to Lake Columbia, where they talked to a witness who says he was duck hunting with his kids when he saw a bald eagle flying over them. The witness says he saw someone shoot the bald eagle, then saw that person go out and get the bird out of the lake. Not long after, officers spoke with Shackelford, who initially denied shooting the eagle, but later reportedly confessed to officers.

The DOJ says bald eagles are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Violating these acts can carry a maximum sentence a fine up to $250,000 and/or two years in federal prison.

CRIME IN THE ARKLATEX

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