The Times Union newspaper in Albany, NY ran an article about a Red-tailed Hawk which was recently released back into the wild after being shot by a worker at the track. The Hawk, was doing what it did best and was eyeing a cage full of Pigeons on the roof of the track grandstand. The man, who was from Guatemala, used a rock and sling shot to shoot the hawk, breaking its wing. The bird plummeted from the roof and the scene was witnessed by several bystanders who alerted authorities. The bird remained missing for a while, before being found by another track employee and given to a rehabilitator.
DEC was able to track the man down, where he plead guilty and paid a $250 fine (pretty cheap if you ask me), but according to the article he had some immigration issues and since returned home. The hawk however healed, and was happily released very near where it was shot.
The full article can be found here
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=848063
$250!! Fines should be much steeper for injuring or attempting to kill birds. How awful Glad to see the Hawk was released though, the poor thing.