Long arm of the law extends to native magpies as well

POLICE have confirmed they were responsible for the shooting of a magpie in northern New South Wales this week — but deny plainclothes officers failed to identify themselves.

POLICE have confirmed they were responsible for the shooting of a magpie in East Lismore this week.

Richmond Police District Inspector David Vandergriend said those at the scene who told The Northern Star about the incident should have been aware they were police after seeing their identification.

“They presented identification to the person,” he said.

Police say they were asked by the National Parks and Wildlife Service to euthenase a magpie in East Lismore. Picture: Trevor Veale

Some people at the scene told journalists police said nothing to them before shooting the bird.

“That wasn’t the case at all,” Insp Vandergriend said.

“The police made that known to that person.”

Insp Vandergriend said the officers did this before euthanasing the bird.

He said police were asked by the National Parks and Wildlife Service to euthanise the bird.

“We get requested, in writing, by the National Parks and Wildlife Service to euthanise birds that are causing risk or injury to members of the public,” he said.

“On this particular occasion, that person confronted the police.

“Police (said) who they were and why they were there.

“They obviously chose to ignore that information. He was shown ID.”

Insp Vandergriend said police were yesterday called to a similar job in Casino.

He said a man living there was too afraid to walk to his mailbox, so intense were the attacks from the bird.

“We don’t just rock up and think ‘there’s a swooping bird, we’ll shoot it,’” he said.

The Northern Star reported earlier today that paramedics were called to an East Lismore shopping centre on Esmonde St about 11.20am on Tuesday after a 70-year-old woman was struck by a magpie and fell over, injuring her knee.

The witnesses quoted said two men dressed in shorts and T-shirts and carrying guns appeared in the nearby Wyrallah Rd Shopping Centre car park and shot the magpie out of a palm tree, witnesses said.

Witness Russell Brown said the men claimed they were police officers, but did not appear to be forthcoming with identification — which Richmond Police District Inspector David Vandergriend denied was the case.

Mr Brown said the magpie had been swooping people in that area “for years”, but he questioned how the men approached the situation, whether or not they had authority to dispose of the bird.

Witnesses said that it may have been a standard approach to a menacing magpie but it had left members of the public shaken.

READ the full story here ‘Blokes with guns’ kill magpie at Lismore shopping centre