Back in May, Rodney Thomas was arrested in Pennsylvania for killing a bald eagle with an air rifle. He is the father of Indianapolis Colts safety Rodney Thomas II.
According to Fox News, the 50-year-old was indicted on a misdemeanor violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act back in July, after causing a ton of backlash from the Cherry Valley Lakeview Estates community outside Pittsburgh after killing the eagle that was beloved by the community.
Now, he’s been appointed a federal public defender, and the money is coming straight out of taxpayer’s pockets.
Thomas Sr.’s arraignment was scheduled for this morning, and if he’s convicted, he could face a year in jail and pay a $100,000 fine.
Linda Carnevali, a resident of the Cherry Valley Lakeview Estates, told the outlet:
“Everybody in the community has a pair of binoculars on the window still in their kitchen, and we’re all very protective of all of our wildlife in our lake.”
She said that the eagle pair had been in the area for almost two decades, and were almost always together unless they were protecting their clutches or eaglets.
She continued:
“So you always knew when you only saw one of them that there were some babies around.”
Community members said they had just hatched two eaglets as well.
Yeah, I have to admit if I knew my taxpayer money was going to a bonehead who decided to kill a bald eagle, I’d be pretty heated myself.
Especially if we’re talking about one that had been apart of the community for so long, and, you know… your son was an NFL player.
