Lummi Nation man accused of shooting bald eagles in February makes federal court appearance
A Lummi Nation man was scheduled to appear in federal court in Seattle on Monday afternoon on charges related to the alleged shooting of two bald eagles on the Lummi Reservation in February.
According to a U.S. Department of Justice news release issued Monday, Joel David Ridley, 38, was arrested Feb. 23 by the Lummi Nation Police Department and taken to Whatcom County Jail. Police were called that morning by a man who heard a gunshot while walking his dog. He saw a man, later identified as Ridley, standing outside by an SUV in the road.
The man heard another gunshot when he got home, according to court records, and saw Ridley’s vehicle pull up. Ridley got out of the car and picked a dead eagle up off of the ground, the witness said. While the man was in the process of calling 911, he saw another eagle fall out of a tree near his property. The eagle was injured but alive.
Ridley wasn’t present when police arrived, but they identified him as the owner of the SUV, according to court records. When officers later spoke to him, he claimed he was swimming and hadn’t heard gunshots before going into a residence. Officers found a dead bald eagle in the back seat of his car.
Ridley denied shooting any eagles, but told officers he was part of a ceremonial group. Some religious ceremonies involve bald eagle feathers, and Lummi Tribe members can legally possess, distribute and transport bald or golden eagles found dead on tribal land. However, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act does not allow for taking eagles by shooting, poisoning or trapping.
Ridley told officers his permit to take bald eagles was “in his blood,” according to court records, and confirmed he had a firearm in his car when asked. A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded rifle. Ridley is not permitted to own a gun because of a 2003 first-degree assault conviction in Whatcom County.
The two eagles were taken to the Whatcom Humane Society in Bellingham. They both had gunshot wounds, and the surviving eagle was euthanized after it was determined it was too injured to survive. Both eagles were confirmed to be juveniles, according to the Department of Justice.
Ridley has been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, a felony, which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He was also charged with two misdemeanors for violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which can lead to up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.