Man sentenced to house arrest for shooting bald eagle, running it over with ATV

ISLE OF WIGHT, Va. — A Virginia man who pleaded guilty to shooting and then running over a bald eagle this year has been sentenced to a month of house arrest.

The Virginian-Pilot reports that Allen H. Thacker, 62, also was ordered Monday to complete 100 hours of community service at an area wildlife refuge and pay $500 in fines along with $1,500 in restitution.

Thacker pleaded guilty to violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act in July. He told officers he killed the eagle in March because he’d seen the bird killing small game and eating fish on his property.

Thacker said that after shooting the eagle, he then ran it over several times with an all-terrain vehicle

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Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Kosky declined to comment on the plea agreement, as did Thacker and his attorney.

Contributing: The Associated Press