In addition to the suspended sentence, Pima County Judicial Court Judge Kendrick Wilson ordered William Scott Simmons, 71, to take a semester course on urban wildlife at the University of Arizona.

The bobcat that was shot dead was commonly known as Sadie. This was his one of 31 bobcats that had been captured and given tracking collars as part of the Tucson Bobcat Research Project. The study, reported by the Arizona Daily Star, will focus on bobcats migrating between the Tucson Mountains and the Santa Cruz River to learn more about how bobcats migrate through populated areas in search of food and calving sites. chasing Kat.

Simmons, a former lieutenant with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, said he shot the bobcat to protect his family and dog. He was found guilty in a lay judge trial last month.

Mr Simmons has previously been accused of using illegal methods to capture wildlife, firing a firearm recklessly, firing a firearm within 400 meters of a occupied structure, and making false reports to law enforcement. The Star also reported that he had received a written warning for doing so.

During Friday’s sentencing, prosecutors described the shooting as “reckless and unspeakably cruel”, adding that Simmons should have known better as a former law enforcement officer.

Simmons’ attorney, Janet Althurer, told the court that her client did nothing but be a contributing and law-abiding citizen. She said that something like this would never happen again and that he was acting out of his kindness towards his pet.

Simmons told the court he was an animal lover and felt he was being punished to protect his family.

A judge then ordered Simmons to attend UA classes and pay a $200 fine that will be donated to the Arizona Wildlife Fund.

Simmons’ one-day court hearing was held on June 9. In his opening statement, Mr. Altshuller told the court that he did not intend to take any wild animals and that he shot a bobcat to protect his four dogs.

Altshuller also noted that Simmons had previously had a pet injured by a wild animal.

One of the prosecution witnesses, Kelly Baldwin, a former biologist with the Arizona Game and Fish Service and a member of the Tucson Bobcats research team, told the court that she received a death alert at approximately 10:44 a.m. on Sept. 22, 2022. said. , from Sadie’s collar. The bobcat’s carcass was later found between Whispering Bell Drive and Painted Hills Road.

A forensic autopsy confirmed a gunshot wound from shoulder to shoulder. He also had trauma to his upper chest, and one of his lungs was “cut off,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin said Sadie was in good health aside from the gunshot wound and had recently given birth to a kitten.

Another witness, Game and Fish wildlife manager Tara Clarke, said she was sent to the shooting site days later to investigate Sadie’s death. In October, she went door-to-door to talk to her neighbors.

When she spoke with Simmons, he denied knowing anything about the bobcat killings and said a nearby neighbor might be interested. After the initial conversation, Mr. Clarke and other investigators attempted to contact Mr. Simmons again, but were unsuccessful.

After several unsuccessful attempts to contact Mr. Simmons, Mr. Clark and another Game and Fish investigator, Nathaniel Foley, who also took the stand as a witness, said Mr. Simmons on October 25. I talked to During their conversation, Mr. Clark eventually admitted to shooting the bobcat in his own defense. 4 dogs.

Clark said Simmons told her Sadie was standing on the backyard wall. He and his wife fired two warning shots as they were unable to free the four Chihuahuas.

Simmons told Clark that Sadie remained in place after the warning shot and appeared to be preparing to attack the dogs. Then he shot a bobcat.

Clark said Simmons told her he didn’t know where Sadie had gone after the shooting and thought he might have missed it.