MUSCLE SHOALS — A former city police officer, accused of shooting and killing a deer on federal property while on duty, has been charged in connection with the incident, officials said Friday.

Greg Scoggins, 47, of Muscle Shoals, is charged with reckless endangerment, hunting without a permit and hunting with the aid of a motor vehicle, according to Lt. Darryl Askew of the Alabama Department of Conservation’s Game and Fish Division.

Askew said Scoggins was served with the warrants Friday and after being arrested he was released on a signature bond.
All three charges are misdemeanors. Reckless endangerment is punishable by a year in jail and a fine if convicted, while the other two charges are punishable by fines.

Muscle Shoals Police Chief Robert Evans said Friday that Scoggins was terminated from the department Thursday.

Scoggins, who had been with the department since December 2001, had been on administrative leave with pay since the incident.

Muscle Shoals city officials said Scoggins has three business days to appeal the termination to Mayor David Bradford. The mayor said Friday night that he is not aware of any notification of appeal at this point.

Officials said Scoggins is accused of shooting and killing a deer Sunday morning on the Tennessee Valley Authority property that fronts Second Street.

TVA officials said the incident was turned over to the Alabama Department of Conservation.

Evans said the Alabama Bureau of Investigation was contacted on Wednesday to handle any further investigation that needed to be done on the department’s behalf.

Reports indicate Scoggins was on duty when the shooting took place.

Authorities said he apparently killed the deer with his own rifle that he had brought from home and had in his patrol car.