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Broncos LB Miller won't be charged for catching shark

Denver Broncos All-Pro linebacker Von Miller will not be prosecuted for catching a hammerhead shark in Florida last April, USA Today reported on Tuesday.

The owner and operator of the boat Miller was on, however, will be charged with failing to properly release a shark and for shark fishing without a permit.

Miller, 30, is an avid outdoorsman.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission launched an investigation last year after posts on social media showed Miller posing with a 9 1/2-foot hammerhead shark during the fishing trip.

Photos and videos of Miller with the shark, its head bloodied and lying on the floor of the boat, caught the attention of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which said at the time it sought to "ensure that Miller is held accountable if killing this animal was, as we suspect, illegal."

Miller was part of a guided excursion that was not fishing for sharks during the trip off the coast of Miami. The surprise catch was said to be released after the photo was taken.

Miller defended his actions.

"I went fishing. Everybody knows that I hunt and fish. It's what I do. But I also believe in conservation. I'm not just out there going crazy," he said last season at the Broncos' offseason program. "We followed the rules. I did everything I was supposed to do."

--Field Level Media