Man Accused Of Filming Himself ‘wrestling’ Sharks Is Arrested

A Washington state fisherman accused of filming himself “wrestling” sharks has been arrested pursuing a months-long investigation.

Connor Seifert has been charged pinch 9 counts of unlawful sportfishing and 1 gross misdemeanor for allegedly dragging protected sharks retired of nan h2o to airs pinch for societal media content.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says it opened its investigation successful April aft receiving 14 complaints astir Seifert.

“Many group were notifying us, like, ‘Hey, this personification is doing this,’” said Lt. Kit Rosenberger pinch Washington State Fish and Wildlife Police.

“Targeting these sharks, catching them, mishandling them, dragging them retired of nan water, wrestling pinch them.”

Investigators opportunity they recovered videos and photos connected Seifert’s societal media accounts of nan forbidden catches of sixgill and sevengill sharks.

He was arrested by officers astatine a pier successful South Puget Sound successful June, allegedly pulling a sixgill shark retired of nan h2o to return a photograph with.

Each of nan misdemeanor unlawful sportfishing counts carries a imaginable good of up to $1,000 and up to 90 days successful jail.

Seifert, from Saint Helens, Oregon, besides faces a gross misdemeanor complaint for allegedly lying to officers, which carries a imaginable good of up to $5,000 and up to 1 twelvemonth successful jail.

He was arraigned successful Pierce County District Court, wherever he pleaded not guilty. He is owed backmost successful tribunal adjacent month.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said sixgill and sevengill sharks are some listed arsenic a “Species of Greatest Conservation Need.”

Sixgill sharks tin turn up to 18 feet successful length, measurement 1,300 pounds, and unrecorded up to 80 years, according to The Seattle Times.

The sevengill shark tin turn to astir 10 feet and measurement 240 pounds.