It took a Clinton County, Ohio jury just three hours at the conclusions of a three-day trial to convict Brian Liming on all four counts of shooting and seriously injuring Ohio Division of Wildlife office Kevin Behr.
Behr was conducting a deer-poaching project that featured the use of a deer decoy. He’s been with the agency for 25 years.
Liming, 44, of Jamestown, Ohio, was found guilty Wednesday, November 10th on charges of assault (felony 4), tampering with evidence (felony 3), and two misdemeanors: Hunting without a deer permit and hunting without a license.
“Hunting with a 20-gauge and thermal-optic scope, (Liming) discharged his firearm and struck Ohio Wildlife Investigator Kevin Behr, who was present on the property and in the process of setting up an investigation upon complaints of poaching from the road,” the Hillsboro, Ohio, Times-Gazette reported Clinton County Prosecutor Andrew McCoy as saying.
Following the December 20, 2020 incident, Behr was aided by fellow Wildlife Division officers and was life-flighted to a Columbus hospital. There he went through multiple surgeries and experienced intensive physical therapy and which continues.
“It has been a struggle every day,” said Behr in his court appearance remarks and as posted by the Times-Gazette.
Also, Liming earlier this year pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court Southern District of Ohio for the charge of unlawful transport of firearms. Convicted once before for misdemeanor domestic violence, Leming is prohibited by law of being in possession of any firearm.
Liming is scheduled to appear for sentencing November 16th in Clinton County Common Please Court on the state charges.
One of the two associates who was with Liming at the time of the incident - Bryan Achtermann, 36, of Midland – pleaded no-contest in August of hunting without a license and hunting deer without a permit. Among his penalties was the lose of hunting privileges for six years.
Another person involved - Thomas Davis, 35, of Jefferson - was charged with a prohibited action misdemeanor, which would be dismissed in Clinton County Municipal Court, news accounts report.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources was deeply involved in the incident's investigation and the affair was keenly watched by the agency’s entire law enforcement community.
Officers with the Department, and especially the Wildlife Division, “lent considerable support and comfort to Behr and his family,” said Ohio Natural Resources Department director Mary Mertz, in prepared remarks to this reporter
“Wildlife officers put themselves at great risk to serve and protect,” Mertz said. “We appreciate all that they do, and thank everyone who helped achieve justice in this case.”
Likewise, Ohio Division of Wildlife chief Kendra Wecker said she and her agency "are thankful that justice was served for the felonious assault on our officer."
"We are all inspired by the Behr family for its strength and resilience these past 11 months," Wecker said in her prepared remarks to this reporter. "We also appreciate the members of the local community for its ongoing support."
- By Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net
JFrischk4@gmail.com
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