By Sarah Roebuck
Police1

PINE CITY, N.Y. — Following the seizure of illegally possessed wildlife in Chemung County, New York State Environmental Conservation Officers have received significant threats, the officer’s union said in a statement.

Misleading social media posts regarding the investigation have spurred death and bomb threats against officers and Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) staff, according to the Police Benevolent Association of New York State.

“The public has been greatly misled by a barrage of social media messaging that painted a partial picture of the investigation and triggered violent threats fueled by misinformation,” the Police Benevolent Association of New York State said. “Our Environmental Conservation Officers understand and accept that they risk their lives every time they begin a shift, but they should never fear for their safety or that of their family for doing the job they have taken an oath to do.”

The investigation began in January when wildlife rehabilitators reported that a person named Mark Longo was illegally keeping a squirrel named Peanut in a self-described “wildlife sanctuary.” Though Longo initially claimed the squirrel had been released, his social media posts indicated otherwise, revealing he also kept a raccoon, the union said.

After reviewing the social media posts, a judge approved a search warrant, leading to the animals’ seizure by three uniformed officers and three DEC wildlife employees who secured Longo’s 80-acre property, the union said.

“Media reports portrayed the seizure as being carried out by ’10-12 agents of the state’ — making it sound as if it were a tactical raid. In truth, there were three uniformed Environmental Conservation Officers who were responsible for securing an 80-acre compound, several plainclothes Investigators who carried out the search pursuant to the warrant, and three DEC wildlife employees who were not police officers,” the union stated.

During the seizure, the squirrel bit a DEC biologist, prompting the Chemung County Health Department to euthanize both the squirrel and the raccoon to test for rabies. The decision was not made by the officers or biologists but stemmed from concerns about rabies transmission, as raccoons can carry the virus.

The PBA of New York State emphasized the officers’ commitment to public safety and urged residents to verify facts before sharing information.