The chief of the division of wildlife, wildlife officers, and other employees of the division that the chief specifies may serve and execute warrants and other processes of law issued in the enforcement of sections 2923.12, 2923.15, and 2923.16 of the Revised Code and in the enforcement of any law or division rule governing the taking, possession, protection, preservation, or propagation of wild animals, or for protection against the wrongful use or occupancy of state owned or leased lands and waters, and property under division control, or in the enforcement of section 3767.32 or any other section of the Revised Code prohibiting the dumping of refuse into or along waters, or in the enforcement of a criminal law of the state when violation of it involves equipment or property owned, leased, or controlled by the division, in the same manner as a sheriff or constable may serve or execute a process, and may arrest on sight and without a warrant a person found violating any such law or rule. The chief or any wildlife officer has the same authority as sheriffs to require aid in executing a process or making an arrest. They may seize without process each part of a wild animal in the possession of a person violating any law or division rule governing the taking, possession, protection, preservation, or propagation of wild animals, together with any boat, gun, net, seine, trap, ferret, or device with which those animals were taken or killed, or that was used in taking or killing them, and any firearm, deadly weapon, or dangerous ordnance, as defined in section 2923.11 of the Revised Code, used or possessed contrary to sections 2923.12, 2923.15, and 2923.16 of the Revised Code, and immediately convey the person so offending before any judge of a county court or judge of a municipal court having jurisdiction over the area in which the offense was committed.

No person shall interfere with, threaten, abuse, assault, resist, or in any manner deter or attempt to deter a wildlife officer or any other officer having like authority from carrying into effect any law or division rule governing the taking, possession, protection, preservation, or propagation of wild animals, or for protection against wrongful use or occupancy of state-owned or leased lands and waters, and property under division control, or any law pertaining to the exhibiting of any license or permit required by this chapter or Chapter 1531. of the Revised Code, or regulating hunting and trapping on the lands of another. No person shall interfere with, threaten, abuse, assault, resist, or in any manner deter or attempt to deter a wildlife officer or any other officer having like authority from enforcing or from serving or executing any warrant or other process issued in the enforcement of section 3767.32 or any other section of the Revised Code prohibiting the dumping of refuse into or along waters, or a criminal law of the state when violation of it involves equipment or property owned, leased, or controlled by the division, or any of the provisions set forth in section 2923.12, 2923.15, or 2923.16 of the Revised Code regulating use or possession of firearms, deadly weapons, or dangerous ordnance, as defined in section 2923.11 of the Revised Code. Arrests for such offenses may be made on Sunday, in which case the offender immediately shall be taken before any court or magistrate given jurisdiction in such cases by this section and required by that court or magistrate to give bond for the offender's appearance at a time fixed for hearing of the complaint on a weekday as soon after the arrest is made as is practicable. If a bond is required of an offender in such a case and the offender fails to give it, the court shall order the offender committed to the county jail or to some other suitable place of confinement until the time for the hearing. The court may make any other arrangements to insure the appearance of the offender at the designated time it considers advisable. The jailer or officer in charge of the place of confinement designated by the court shall receive the person so committed.

Effective Date: 03-18-1999.