Rodney Thomas, the father of Indianapolis Colts' second-year safety Rodney Thomas II, has been arrested for fatally shooting a bald eagle back in May 2023.
The elder Thomas allegedly shot the bird with an air rifle in the Pittsburgh suburb, killing it, and then turned himself in. It is unclear what the motive was.
The eagle, affectionately known as Sam, was one of two eagles that had been nesting in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania for decades, and had just recently hatched two eaglets.
Rodney was later arrested and indicted by a Pittsburgh federal grand jury for violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA), a federal statute that protects both bald and golden eagle species. Although bald eagles are no longer on the list of threatened and endangered species, the act prohibits anyone from possessing, selling, or hunting bald eagles, or even offering to do any of the above. The act also includes eagle feathers, nests, eggs, or body parts. A first-time violation of the act can result in a fine of $100,000 and up to a year of prison time.
While the golden eagle has never been listed as endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, America's favorite bird has experienced several sharp declines in population. By 1940, when the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act was passed, their populations had shrunk considerably due to the decline in waterfowl and nesting habitat, and the tendency for farmers to shoot the large raptors to keep them from preying on domestic livestock.
The population took another hit after World War II when a rise in the use of the pesticide DDT began poisoning eagles through the fish they ate. The pesticide robbed the birds of the ability to lay eggs with strong shells, causing the eggs to break during incubation or never hatch. By 1963, only 417 nesting pairs existed, and in 1978, bald eagles were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
Thankfully, the BGEPA and the Endangered Species Act helped turn the tide on the declining population, and in 2007, bald eagles had recovered enough to be taken off the Endangered Species list.
Thomas was released on $10,000 bail. He faces up to a $5,000 fine and one year in jail.
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