Bainbridge Island Officer Resigns After Fish Investigation

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND (AP) — A Bainbridge Island police detective has resigned after he was accused of illegally keeping a protected salmon he caught while fishing this summer.

The Kitsap Sun reports that according to documents obtained through a public records request, 44-year-old Victor Cienega resigned on Oct. 4. His resignation comes after an internal investigation into his fishing violations.

Cienega was found to have a wild Puget Sound chinook during a random check on July 23 by a state Fish and Wildlife officer at Kingston Marina. Puget Sound chinook are listed as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

An internal affairs investigation conducted by the Bremerton Police Department found that at one point Cienega has more likely than not lied to investigators.