Oregon man arrested for illegal shark fishing in Washington

A 27-year-old Oregon man has been arrested and charged with multiple fishing violations after authorities say he illegally caught protected sharks in Washington's Puget Sound and posted videos of himself wrestling the animals on social media. Connor Seifert faces nine misdemeanor counts of unlawful recreational fishing and one gross misdemeanor count of making a false or misleading statement to a public servant.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the arrest on July 23 following a months-long investigation that began in April. Authorities said they received 14 complaints about Seifert's activities, many stemming from photos and videos he posted online. The videos allegedly showed him catching bluntnose sixgill and broadnose sevengill sharks, then wrestling them on land, prying open their mouths, stepping on their backs, and holding them by their tails out of the water.

Officers arrested Seifert in June at a pier in South Puget Sound after conducting surveillance. Authorities said they witnessed him and friends dragging a sixgill shark out of the water for a trophy photo before releasing it. In body camera footage released by the department, an officer is...