Man accused of holding family at gunpoint over protected bird

A man in New Mexico is accused of holding a family at gunpoint after he claimed they shot and killed a federally protected bird, police said.

The incident happened Saturday in the Pajarito mesa, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office. Deputies said Carlos Proffit, 57, who was armed with two guns and a knife, kept a couple and three children from leaving the area after he accused them of killing a red-tailed hawk.

The family had a shotgun, according to KOAT, but the father told deputies that they were only trying to get a closer look at the bird. The criminal complaint did not say whether a bird was shot, according to KOAT.