A man killed a mountain lion in Buckeye and won't face any legal consequences. Here's why
The incident occurred around 10 p.m. on May 25 in the Verrado community at the southeast corner of the White Tank Mountains. The man was walking his dog when the mountain lion attacked, and he was able to kick the animal off his dog. When the mountain lion attempted to approach him again, the man shot and killed it.
The incident followed an uptick of sightings in the area, which is a mountain lion habitat, according to the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
"The shooting was in self-defense, so no citations were issued," Game and Fish spokesperson Michael Colaianni wrote in an email. "We typically say that if your life or the life of someone else is in danger, you have every right to defend yourself."
Mountain lions can be legally hunted with a tag from Game and Fish. A person who kills a mountain lion that is not threatening or who kills without a tag could face any of several violations, according to the department. Those could include unlawful taking of wildlife, taking out of season, or taking without a tag, which bring criminal penalties.
There had been "an uptick in sightings" in the area before the May 25 encounter, but it could have been the same mountain lion seen repeatedly, Colaianni said. No sightings have been reported to Game and Fish since.
The department says online that mountain lion habitat is shrinking as a result of urban sprawl, which can increase human and lion conflicts.
"We would like those living on the outskirts or up against wilderness areas to keep in mind that these types of interactions with wildlife are still extremely rare, but are indeed possible," Colaianni said.
If someone encounters a mountain lion, the department says humans should:
Not approach the lion, as most will try to avoid confrontation and try to escape.
Stay calm and speak loudly and firmly.
Do not run, which could stimulate a mountain lion's chase instinct.
Stand and face the animal while making eye contact.
Try to convince the mountain lion you are not easy prey, and might be dangerous. Make yourself appear larger by raising your arms or opening a jacket if you are wearing one. Throw stones or anything you can reach without turning around or crouching. Wave your arms slowly.
Maintain eye contact and slowly back away toward a building, vehicle or busy area.
If the lion attacks, fight back. The animal usually tries to bite the head or neck, so remain standing and face it. Game and Fish said people have fought off attacks using everything from their bare hands to mountain bikes.
The department said its annual average population estimate of mountain lions in Arizona was about 2,900 for the years between 2004 and 2020. But because the animals have a wide range and cryptic behavior, they are hard to count. So the department makes an estimate based on the age of the animals when they are hunted or killed.
Mountain lions are not considered endangered or threatened.
Any mountain lion attack should be reported to 911, according to Game and Fish.
Encounters, attacks, sightings or any property damage should also be reported to Arizona Game and Fish dispatch at 623-236-7201. The line is staffed 24/7 year-round.
Reach reporter Stacey Barchenger at stacey.barchenger@arizonarepublic.com or 480-416-5669.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: A man killed a mountain lion in Buckeye. Is that legal?
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Fox News
19-07-2025
- Fox News
Army vet's search for missing geologist son revived as new forensics may reveal truth in desert disappearance
Print Close By Julia Bonavita, Michael Ruiz Published July 19, 2025 A retired U.S. Army veteran is still piecing together the disappearance of his geologist son years after he vanished from an Arizona work site, with new investigators looking to break open the four-year-long cold case using new forensic evidence. 24-year-old Daniel Robinson vanished after leaving work at around 9 a.m. on June 23, 2021, according to the Buckeye Police Department. Daniel's father, David Robinson, subsequently reported him missing later that day after his coworkers reached out to tell his family Daniel did not return to work. "When I first called in, [authorities] made me hang the phone up, wait two hours and call back," the elder Robinson told Fox News Digital. ARMY VET SAYS NEW EVIDENCE SUGGESTS FOUL PLAY IN UNSOLVED DISAPPEARANCE OF SCIENTIST SON After local law enforcement reportedly denied Robinson's request to begin searching for his son due to his age, the father took matters into his own hands by driving from his home in Columbia, South Carolina, to where Daniel had been seen last, 2,000 miles away in Arizona. "I kind of lost it," Robinson said. "That prompted me to grab everything I could, throw it in my car and start driving to go find Daniel myself." Upon arriving in Arizona, Robinson grew frustrated with the reported lack of urgency from officials, ultimately choosing to hire a private investigator to help search for Daniel. Less than one month later, Daniel's 2017 Jeep Renegade was found rolled on its side in a ravine by a local rancher. The vehicle was still in drive, and had front-end impact damage and a broken driver's side window and was missing a piece of its roof. FATHER'S PURSUIT FOR MISSING DAUGHTER HEATS UP WITH NEW EVIDENCE IN CASE THAT'S NO LONGER COLD Despite the damage, authorities ruled out foul play in Daniel's disappearance. "Law enforcement gave me an idea of what they said happened at that scene," Robinson said. "It was unacceptable to me. It didn't make sense." Robinson's private investigator determined that the damage to Daniel's vehicle did not match the nearby terrain, while also pointing to black box data indicating the car had driven 11 miles after the airbags had been deployed, signifying that the car may have been planted at the location where it was found. "So all of the information – plus more – signified to my investigator that some type of foul play happened," Robinson said. 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"Detectives continue to investigate every tip and lead and urge anyone with information on Daniel's whereabouts to contact us ." DETECTIVES' TRUE CRIME PODCAST HELPS DIG UP BREAKTHROUGH IN CASE THAT HAUNTED FAMILY: 'DREW AUDIBLE GASP' Four years later, Robinson hopes the introduction of new Buckeye Police Department detectives and police chief will yield more promising results in finding out what happened to his son, after what had been a rocky relationship between the father and local law enforcement. "It's given me the opportunity to get new leads in Daniel's case," Robinson said. "Hopefully that's what we'll find. Because I know forensic work will bring on some new answers, and we can go forward in another direction to find out exactly what happened to my family." Robinson hopes new forensics data from the clothing and vehicle found at the scene will help piece together his son's final moments. But in the meantime he is still searching on foot for clues in the desert. 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Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
A man killed a mountain lion in Buckeye and won't face any legal consequences. Here's why
A Buckeye man who killed a mountain lion that attacked him and his dog would not face legal consequences because he acted in self-defense, state wildlife officials said. The incident occurred around 10 p.m. on May 25 in the Verrado community at the southeast corner of the White Tank Mountains. The man was walking his dog when the mountain lion attacked, and he was able to kick the animal off his dog. When the mountain lion attempted to approach him again, the man shot and killed it. The incident followed an uptick of sightings in the area, which is a mountain lion habitat, according to the Arizona Game and Fish Department. "The shooting was in self-defense, so no citations were issued," Game and Fish spokesperson Michael Colaianni wrote in an email. "We typically say that if your life or the life of someone else is in danger, you have every right to defend yourself." Mountain lions can be legally hunted with a tag from Game and Fish. A person who kills a mountain lion that is not threatening or who kills without a tag could face any of several violations, according to the department. Those could include unlawful taking of wildlife, taking out of season, or taking without a tag, which bring criminal penalties. There had been "an uptick in sightings" in the area before the May 25 encounter, but it could have been the same mountain lion seen repeatedly, Colaianni said. No sightings have been reported to Game and Fish since. The department says online that mountain lion habitat is shrinking as a result of urban sprawl, which can increase human and lion conflicts. "We would like those living on the outskirts or up against wilderness areas to keep in mind that these types of interactions with wildlife are still extremely rare, but are indeed possible," Colaianni said. If someone encounters a mountain lion, the department says humans should: Not approach the lion, as most will try to avoid confrontation and try to escape. Stay calm and speak loudly and firmly. Do not run, which could stimulate a mountain lion's chase instinct. Stand and face the animal while making eye contact. Try to convince the mountain lion you are not easy prey, and might be dangerous. Make yourself appear larger by raising your arms or opening a jacket if you are wearing one. Throw stones or anything you can reach without turning around or crouching. Wave your arms slowly. Maintain eye contact and slowly back away toward a building, vehicle or busy area. If the lion attacks, fight back. The animal usually tries to bite the head or neck, so remain standing and face it. Game and Fish said people have fought off attacks using everything from their bare hands to mountain bikes. The department said its annual average population estimate of mountain lions in Arizona was about 2,900 for the years between 2004 and 2020. But because the animals have a wide range and cryptic behavior, they are hard to count. So the department makes an estimate based on the age of the animals when they are hunted or killed. Mountain lions are not considered endangered or threatened. Any mountain lion attack should be reported to 911, according to Game and Fish. Encounters, attacks, sightings or any property damage should also be reported to Arizona Game and Fish dispatch at 623-236-7201. The line is staffed 24/7 year-round. Reach reporter Stacey Barchenger at or 480-416-5669. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: A man killed a mountain lion in Buckeye. Is that legal?
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Yahoo
Arizona Man Kills Mountain Lion to Protect Pet Dog from Animal Attack
A man shot and killed a mountain lion after the big cat attacked his dog The dog and its owner were out for a walk at night in Buckeye, Arizona, when the mountain lion aggressively approached them The dog sustained no serious injuries in the encounter with the wild animalA man and his dog are safe after a dangerous encounter with a mountain lion. On May 25, around 10 p.m., in Buckeye — about 30 miles west of Phoenix, Arizona — the man was walking his dog in a residential area called Verrado when a mountain lion approached the pair and attacked them, the Arizona Game and Fish Department told PEOPLE in a statement. The "brief altercation" did not result in serious injuries for the canine, with the man successfully "kicking the lion off his dog," the department's statement read. Yet, the altercation didn't deter the predator, because the mountain lion doubled back, per the statement, following the man and dog as they returned home. The mountain lion approached the duo again, but this time, the man fatally shot the big cat. The killing was an act of self-defense, the statement read. The state's wildlife management agency picked up and transported the dead mountain lion without further incident. Mountain lion and human encounters are rare, but the spread of urban and suburban sprawl is leading to increased run-ins as the big cats lose their natural habitat. The University of Arizona estimated that roughly 2,500 to 3,000 wild mountain lions are living in the state. "If you encounter a lion, do not run. Face the lion and slowly back away, leaving an escape route, " the university said in a statement, per The Island Packet. "You should also try to appear larger by raising your arms over your head. You may also throw rocks and sticks as long as you can avoid crouching down." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Another dog owner recently went to extreme lengths to protect her pup. Kim Spencer of Tampa, Florida, was on an evening walk with her dog Kona when an alligator emerged from a lake nearby with its sights set on the pet. While the alligator got Kona's head in its jaws, Spencer mobilized and jumped on the back of the gator, effectively wrangling the reptile. "I stopped thinking and just dove on it, jumped on it and straddled it, as lady-like as that is, and was trying to pry its jaws open," she said. Kona survived the attack thanks to Spencer, leaving the altercation with several deep bite wounds that required stitches. Read the original article on People
