GREENSBURG, Ind. (AP) — An Indiana prosecutor plans to drop illegal possession charges against a couple who nursed an injured white-tailed deer back to health and kept it in an enclosure on their farm for two years.

Decatur County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Douglas Brown tells The Indianapolis Star the charges against Connersville police officer Jeff Counceller and his wife, Jennifer, will be dropped by the end of the week. Brown says his office decided to drop the charges in response to a request from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Brown says his office will issue a special prosecutor's report explaining its decision once the charges have been dismissed.

Thousands of people outraged by the case have signed an online petition calling for the charges to be dropped.