Indianapolis Colts safety Rodney Thomas II’s father accused of murdering a bald eagle

Indianapolis, Indiana – Prosecutors allege that the father of an Indianapolis Colts safety shot and killed a bald eagle, leading to his detention and subsequent charge.

According to court documents filed in federal court, a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh indicted and charged Rodney Thomas Sr., the father of NFL safety Rodney Thomas II, for allegedly violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

According to the accusation, Thomas shot and killed a bald eagle named Haliaeetus leucocephalus on May 12 in Mount Pleasant Township, Pennsylvania, “knowingly or with wanton” behavior.

The Act defines “take” as “pursue, shoot, shoot at, poison, wound, kill, capture, trap, collect, molest or disturb.”

The New York Post claims that Mount Pleasant locals were outraged by the police’s more than two-month delay in disclosing the suspect’s identity or the accusations against him.

The story notes that the unfortunate eagle was one of two that nested in the region for about 20 years.

A federal misdemeanor charge of taking a Bald Eagle in violation of the Bald Eagle Protection Act has been brought against Thomas Sr.

He might be sentenced to a year in prison or a fine of $100,000 for his first violation. Additional crimes may result in harsher punishments, and a second violation of the Act is a felony.