(a) Every wildlife officer and any additional enforcement officers who may be specified by the executive director have the authority to enforce this chapter and, in the exercise of the authority, have the authority to stop and board any vessel subject to this chapter. They may arrest on sight, without warrant, any person detected by them in the act of violating any of the provisions of this chapter. The officer may, without a warrant, arrest a person at the scene of a boating accident who is the operator of a vessel involved in such accident when, based on personal investigation, the officer has probable cause to believe that such person has violated either § 69-9-216(a), relative to reckless or negligent endangerment or § 69-9-217(a), relative to boating under the influence. They have the same right as sheriffs to require aid in arresting, with or without process, any person found by them violating any of the provisions of this chapter.
(b) No person shall resist, hinder, obstruct, or abuse any law enforcement officer while the officer is attempting to arrest offenders of this chapter or while the officer is making necessary inspections to determine that there is compliance with this chapter.
(c) The commission is authorized to provide by duly promulgated regulation a system for issuing warning citations under such conditions as may be deemed proper.
(d) This section does not authorize officers to inspect vessels for any purpose other than to determine if the vessels meet the registration and safety requirements of this chapter.
(e) Vessels operated by persons commissioned as law enforcement officers as provided in subsection (a), shall be designated as emergency vessels and both the vessel and the law enforcement officer are exempt from normal operating requirements when the vessel is being used for law enforcement purposes.
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