VP Cheney accidentally shoots someone while hunting

[Pburgh]

We have about 50-60 hunting related accidents per year in Pennsylvania. I don't remember anyone being strung up by their testicles.

[fwbbreeze]

We have about 50-60 hunting related accidents per year in Pennsylvania. I don't remember anyone being strung up by their testicles.

AMEN

[x-y-no]

We have about 50-60 hunting related accidents per year in Pennsylvania. I don't remember anyone being strung up by their testicles.

And I don't see that happening here either. What I see are legitimate questions being asked, and legitimate resistance to efforts to blame the victim when this was a clear case of negligent gun-handling.


Perhaps you can direct me to a story from among those frequent accidents where an individual was shot by another hunter and landed in intensive care, but the police didn't interview the shooter until the next day? A bonus if the story blames the victim for getting shot.

[GalvestonDuck]

Does mousehunting count?

Man Trying to Kill Mouse Shoots Girlfriend
Wed Oct 20,10:48 AM ET

CONFLUENCE, Pa. - A man missed a mouse he was trying to shoot with a small-caliber handgun and wounded his girlfriend instead, state police said.
Donald Rugg, 43, of Confluence, was trying to kill the rodent with a .22-caliber handgun when his girlfriend, Cathy Jo Harris, 38, apparently went into the line of fire and was hit in the arm early Tuesday morning, state police said.
She was taken to Somerset Hospital where she was listed in fair condition Tuesday, said hospital spokesman Greg Chiappelli.
Neither Rugg nor Harris could immediately be reached for comment.
State police said they won't charge Rugg, but advised against people shooting firearms inside.

[Pburgh]

Ducky that probably interviewed the shooter the same day. Good try though. lol

[skinny1960]

Being a hunter for the last 34 years, it is every hunter's responsibility is to identify his target before firing. But if a fellow hunter afield, who is not visible to the shooter, does not make his location known, he holds the responsibility for being ACCIDENTALLY shot. Hunting is by definition, using a weapon that will kill something, and when a hunter is afield, common sense tells you to be aware of any and all situations, to prevent yourself from being shot or shooting someone else. I have yet to here, from any of the National News medias, what actually happened. As usual, they all want to be first to run a sensationalized story, before actually learning all of the facts. Was this man visible or behind brush and not seen ????

[Brent]

Cheney Breaking Silence on Hunting Accident
Wednesday, February 15, 2006

NEW YORK — Vice President Dick Cheney has granted his first interview more than 72 hours after a hunting incident in which he accidentally shot a man in the face.

FOX News Channel's Brit Hume was sitting down with the vice president on Wednesday afternoon. The interview will be broadcast on "Special Report With Brit Hume" at 6 p.m. EST.

[alicia-w]

If the man wounded by Dick Cheney dies, the vice president could -- in theory at least -- face criminal charges, even though the shooting was an accident.

A Texas grand jury could bring a charge of criminally negligent homicide if there is evidence the vice president knew or should have known "there was a substantial or unjustifiable risk that his actions would result in him shooting a fellow hunter," said Dallas defense attorney David Finn.

Finn has worked as both a state and a federal prosecutor.

"The risk must be of such a nature and degree that it got to be pretty outrageous -- that a reasonable person would have to say, `I am not pulling the trigger because this other guy might be in front of me,' " Finn said.

The charge carries up to two years behind bars, but with no previous felonies Cheney would be eligible for probation, the former prosecutor said.

Mark Skurka, first assistant district attorney of the three-county area where the shooting took place, said prosecutors did not have an investigation under way.

"If something unfortunate happens, then we'll decide what to do, then we'll decide whether we're going to have an investigation or not," Skurka said.

Harry Whittington, a 78-year-old lawyer, was struck in the face, neck and chest with shotgun pellets over the weekend while Cheney was shooting at quail. Whittington suffered a mild heart attack Tuesday after a pellet traveled to his heart.

But on Wednesday, hospital officials said he had a normal heart rhythm again and was sitting up in a chair, eating regular food and planned to do some legal work in his hospital room. Doctors said they are highly optimistic he will recover.

In the only other case of someone being shot by a vice president, Aaron Burr was indicted on murder charges in New York and New Jersey for killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel in 1804, but he was never tried and finished out his term in office.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/02/15/cheney.legal.ap/index.html

Vice President Dick Cheney on Wednesday gave his first interview since the weekend accident in which he shot fellow hunter Harry Whittington.

"It was not Harry's fault," Cheney told Fox in excerpts released before the full interview is aired Wednesday. "You can't blame anybody else. I'm the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend."

[Pburgh]

Alice, are you hoping that our VP is going to have to face criminal charges?

[alicia-w]

no comment, just presenting the latest issues as they arise.

[Lindaloo]

Quail hunting is nothing like regular hunting.

[george_r_1961]

It wasnt a conspiracy..an accident plain and simple. It just happened to involve the VP. And he is taking full responsibilty.

[x-y-no]

Quail hunting is nothing like regular hunting.

OK, if you say so.

Seems to me it still would involve not firing your weapon without being very sure there's no likelihood of another person being in your line of fire. But what do I know?

Now that I've had it explained to me that this isn't part of quail hunting, I shall make very sure never to go on a quail hunt, as I prefer not to be shot.

[x-y-no]

Being a hunter for the last 34 years, it is every hunter's responsibility is to identify his target before firing. But if a fellow hunter afield, who is not visible to the shooter, does not make his location known, he holds the responsibility for being ACCIDENTALLY shot. Hunting is by definition, using a weapon that will kill something, and when a hunter is afield, common sense tells you to be aware of any and all situations, to prevent yourself from being shot or shooting someone else. I have yet to here, from any of the National News medias, what actually happened. As usual, they all want to be first to run a sensationalized story, before actually learning all of the facts. Was this man visible or behind brush and not seen ????

Well, according to the published account, Whittington was approaching from the rear, and Cheney wheeled around tracking a bird and fired to what had been his rear.

Personally, I don't need to know any more than that to know this was a negligent action. There was at least one member of the party in an unknown location, and Cheney fired in a direction he had not confirmed was clear. I don't see how that's anything but negligent.


By the way, not being a quail hunter, I've googled arount for safety practices in quail hunting, and I've found dozens of sites. None of them has said a word about responsibility to announce one's approach from the rear. All of them have said pretty much what I've said about never firing in a direction you haven't confirmed is clear.

[Lindaloo]

Quail hunting is nothing like regular hunting.

OK, if you say so.

Seems to me it still would involve not firing your weapon without being very sure there's no likelihood of another person being in your line of fire. But what do I know?

Now that I've had it explained to me that this isn't part of quail hunting, I shall make very sure never to go on a quail hunt, as I prefer not to be shot.

Come on Jan. This would not even be an issue to you if it had been anyone other than Cheney, that is obvious. MOST hunting accidents are an accident, nothing more nothing less. There are PLENTY shot in hunting accidents each year, I'd like to see you vent for them as well.

[GalvestonDuck]

If the man wounded by Dick Cheney dies, the vice president could -- in theory at least -- face criminal charges, even though the shooting was an accident.

Gosh, you mean, if he's immortal, Cheney doesn't have to worry?

It really bugs me when journalists (and editors) don't proofread stuff like this.

[Stephanie]

It wasnt a conspiracy..an accident plain and simple. It just happened to involve the VP. And he is taking full responsibilty.

I agree.

[Ixolib]

Once upon a time, long ago when I was a mere 12 years old, I was rabbit hunting with several other family members in the Singing River marshes between Gautier and Pascagoula, south of Hwy 90, just west of Ingalls Shipbuilding.

Anyway, throughout that area are many clearings, and many other marshy areas. Somehow, I ended up removed from the "party" of other hunters. About that time, a rabbit came out into one of the clearings and everybody else opened up on that poor thing. Unfortunately for me, I was on the "other" side of the clearing and got peppered by about four of those who were shooting at the rabbit.

Fortunately, I lucked out and only took minor skin wounds in about 50 areas - one of which was pretty close to my eye. But, the point here is that accidents happen and getting peppered by others in your hunting party is not completely uncommon. I'll say one thing for sure, it's amazing how fast one can "hit the ground" when they realize they're in the line of fire!!

BTW - The rabbit got away as everybody who was shooting at him missed!! Ah.... the good old days!

[GalvestonDuck]

"You can't blame anybody else. I'm the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend." ~Cheney, 2/15/06

I was pretty confident that we'd hear sentiments to that degree from him.

[JQ Public]

hahahahahaha this is the funniest thing ever. I almost fell out of my sofa when i heard about this on the news.