GRAND HAVEN -
Nearly everyone in Grand Haven has an opinion about the deer population there. But police say one man decided to thin the population himself right near his home, and that's illegal.
The abundance of deer in the area has been a controversial issue in Grand Haven. They're eating things they're not supposed to, and sharpshooters have even been brought in to thin the herd.
But shooting a deer in a residential area is illegal, not to mention dangerous. That's something John Nedderman is finding out the hard way.
Lake Forest Cemetary in Ottawa County often has a number of deer roaming it's grounds, but lately, neighbors have noticed something different in the area.
"Last year I started noticing they were very consistent to a certain area, and we were running into them a lot," said neighbor Sean Sterzer. "A lot of dead deer all in the same vicinity."
Since 2008, workers have found eight dead deer in or near the cemetary, shot to death with a .22 calibur rifle. After interviews were conducted, police searched Nedderman's home, which is located on top of the hill just south of the cemetary.
"We recovered a .22 calibur rifle, as well as a large quantity of ammunition," said Muskegon County Prosecutor Tony Tague. "In the course of the interview with police he indicated he was involved in the taking of four of those deer."
The Muskegon County Prosecutor authorized the charges against Nedderman after the Ottawa County Prosecutor stepped away from the case because his family knows the Nedderman family.
Nedderman, 69, is charged with reckless use of a firearm. That's a misdemeanor which could mean up to 90 days in jail.
The abundance of deer in the area has been a controversial issue in Grand Haven. They're eating things they're not supposed to, and sharpshooters have even been brought in to thin the herd.
But shooting a deer in a residential area is illegal, not to mention dangerous. That's something John Nedderman is finding out the hard way.
Lake Forest Cemetary in Ottawa County often has a number of deer roaming it's grounds, but lately, neighbors have noticed something different in the area.
"Last year I started noticing they were very consistent to a certain area, and we were running into them a lot," said neighbor Sean Sterzer. "A lot of dead deer all in the same vicinity."
Since 2008, workers have found eight dead deer in or near the cemetary, shot to death with a .22 calibur rifle. After interviews were conducted, police searched Nedderman's home, which is located on top of the hill just south of the cemetary.
"We recovered a .22 calibur rifle, as well as a large quantity of ammunition," said Muskegon County Prosecutor Tony Tague. "In the course of the interview with police he indicated he was involved in the taking of four of those deer."
The Muskegon County Prosecutor authorized the charges against Nedderman after the Ottawa County Prosecutor stepped away from the case because his family knows the Nedderman family.
Nedderman, 69, is charged with reckless use of a firearm. That's a misdemeanor which could mean up to 90 days in jail.
